Against the backdrop of the recent Supreme Court guideline on awarding life imprisonment for milk adulteration, District Food Officer Ashwini Dewangan claimed there is absolutely no possibility of synthetic milk being sold in the district.
The Apex court has recently called the present sentence of maximum six months imprisonment grossly inadequate against the malpractice. SC has urged the State Governments to make required amendments in the law so that strictest actions could be taken against people who sell contaminated, adulterated or synthetic milk.
“Diluting milk is a common practice here but it is my challenge that synthetic milk is sold nowhere in the district,” said Dewangan.
He told The Pioneer that all the seizures and testing of milk samples that were done by his department from January this year were free from any type of chemicals. We mainly come across incidents where people either mix water or milk powder in the milk, Dewangan said.
Though adding water to milk is not hazardous, it decreases the ideal fat content in milk making it less nutritious.
According to the present Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, life imprisonment can be awarded only when consumption of adulterated milk has resulted in death of an individual. The term will come with a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh.
In order to take strict action against milk adulteration, the State Governments will have to pass amendments to the present Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Welcoming the move, Dewangan said that stricter rules will bring about change and safety.