How pure is your glass of milk?

COIMBATORE: Starting your day with a glass of milk? Stop! You could just be feeding yourself and your family a host of cancer-causing agents ranging from washing soda to urea along with the milk! Experts say the adulterants commonly used in milk are carbonates and bicarbonates, starch, urea, hydrated lime, formalin and ammonium sulphate. “Neutralisers are commonly added to milk to control its acidity and delay spoilage - for a longer shelf life,” said a dairy technologist, on condition of anonymity. Commonly used neutralising agents are carbonates and bicarbonates ranging from sodium carbonate (washing soda), sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) of which sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide are inedible.Other adulterants could be urea and tapioca starch. “These are used increase the solids-not-fat (SNF) content of milk. The SNF content is an indicator of water added to milk. SNF below 8 per cent invokes a heavy penalty on the milk supplier or vendor. These adulterants boost the SNF content and indicate a thicker sample of milk.”According to a report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the adulterants in milk have hazardous health effects ranging from food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications to destroying body proteins.Dr Mahathi, a dietician,  said: “The urea content in milk can damage kidneys, and caustic soda can cause acute hypertension and heart ailments.”The “thick” milk advertised by a leading brand could be potentially adulterated with starch for the “thickness.” The long shelf life of most brands could possibly be due to caustic soda being added to the milk, says the dairy technologist.Defending the dairies, however, the General Manager of Aavin, C Siraj, said, “Aavin milk is being tested every time. Other companies might be adulterating milk, but not Aavin.”