Where does milk adulteration take place?

HIGH COURT CONCERNED

‘Where does milk adulteration take place?’

Rosy Sequeira Times of India News Network 26^th Jan 2010

Mumbai: The HC on Wednesday expressed concern over the adulteration of milk during transportation.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi was hearing a PIL against milk adulteration filed by homeopath Dr Sreedevi Mehta, chemical engineer Karan Doshi and Vidhvatta Malhotra, a home-maker who has a two-year-old child.

They asked the court to direct setting up of an agency to certify milk with a ‘milk mark’ which would ensure quality and a 24-hour helpline to enable people to register complaints. To a query from the judges as to where the adulteration takes place, their advocate Mahendra Sethna replied, “At the dairy mainly, but it can also be that a person who comes to deliver does the mixing.”

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He added that if a ‘milk mark’ is evolved even distributors will be protected in sale and milk distribution will continue to be unadulterated.
Sethna referred to a Food Safety Standards Authority of India report stating that nearly 70% milk samples collected across India were contaminated.

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Justice Shah said, “We want to entertain this petition. Is it pointed out in the petition whether adulteration takes place during transit?”

The Maharashtra Milk Distributor Association said it wants to help. The judges have allowed the petitioners to amend their petition to add the State Agriculture and Dairy Development Department and Mahanand Milk Association Kruti Sangh as party respondents. The matter will be heard on February 16.