Products

Milk Adulterants Testing Kit (Mat Kit)

	Milk Testing Laboratory        WTO-QOL, UVAS, Lahore

Back Ground

Milk is produced throughout the year. However, milk production is extensively reduced during summer months due to heat stress, scarcity of fodder etc. Milk is transported from point of production to cities mainly through middle man called dodhies. Such milk is watered to increase volume. Milk is perishable item so during summer months the milk is likely to be spoiled during transportation. The middle man therefore add ice blocks, and chemical preservatives such as urea, formaldehyde, sodium bi-carbonate, starch, flour, surf, sodium hydroxide, vegetable oil, cane sugar, etc. These preservatives or adulterants are health hazards for end consumer particularly vulnerable  group such as infants.

Description

UVAS Scientists have established methods for detection of 12 adulterants in market milk. A field MAT Reagents Kit for testing 12 adulterants has been developed. Using the kit, a trained person in the field can screen adulterants in milk conveniently and rapidly.

Knowledge Dissemination

Quality Operations Laboratory (QOL), UVAS, Lahore has organized more than 5 workshops. In the workshops, more than 55 technical persons from milk processing industries (Nestle, Halla, Haleeb, Melac Food), Health Department, Punjab Consumer Protection Council, Postgraduates, Faculty Members from other universities like, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad; Hazara University, Directorate of Livestock, Khyber PK etc., were trained in testing milk adulterants through chemical analysis. The kit has been developed under an HEC funded research project.