Milk Adulteration in Nashik: A Comparative Study on Different Adulterants Present in Milk

Nashik, Maharashtra has seen an extensive spread of food adulteration issues, with emerging populations being especially at risk from its consequences. Milk is regarded as a complete food since it is rich in vitamins and minerals that support healthy bodily growth. According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying report 2021-22, about 878.94 tonnes of milk were produced. However, the quantity generated by producers is lower than that of consumers. Many common adulterants are used to enhance volume, simulate nutritious content, prolong shelf life and improve profit. This addition decreases the nutritive value of milk. Health risks from consuming adulterated milk include bacterial infections, chronic toxicity, cancer, gastrointestinal issues, renal damage, nutritional deficiencies and other health issues that rely on the adulterant. Thirty milk samples, comprising both packaged and dairy variants were passed through qualitative analysis to determine adulterants including formalin, salts, sugar, detergent, starch, and skimmed milk. Standard chemical tests were conducted to ascertain the presence of these substances. The results pointed out that a substantial measure of the samples contained adulterants, with ammonium salt, common salt and formalin being the contaminants detected most often. Compared to dairy milk, packaged milk samples showed elevated levels of adulteration, accompanied by traces of preservatives such as formalin detected as well. This research highlights the immediate necessity for more stringent quality control measures and regular testing to safeguard the safety of milk.