Detection and Extent of Extraneous Water and Adulteration in Milk Consumed at Hyderabad, Pakistan

Abstract

This study was designed to screen the various adulterants in the market milk sold in the vicinity of Hyderabad district of Sindh province, Pakistan during the year 2013. A total of 100 milk samples were collected, each of twenty (n= 20) from milk producers (MP), milk collectors (MC), middlemen (MM), processors (P) and dairy shops (DS), were examined for various adulterants. Among these adulterants water (91%) was found in majority of milk samples, followed by detergent (41%), cane sugar (31%), starch (27%), rice flour (24%), formalin (20%), sodium chloride and skimmed milk powder (19%), urea and hydrogen peroxide (15%), ammonium sulfate (13%), vegetable oil and boric acid (12%), caustic soda (11%), glucose (10%), arrowroot (9%), hypochlorite (5%), salicylic acid (4%) and sorbitol (3%) consumed at the vicinity of Hyderabad district of Sindh, Pakistan. Freezing point of 80% milk samples of MP, 90% of MC, 95% of MM, 90% of P and 100% of DS appeared towards 0 oC rather than that of control milk, and assumed to be adulterated with extraneous water. The averaged extent of water in milk sold by MC remarkably higher than that of other milk marketing channels, but statistically non-significant (P>0.05) with all milk intermediaries; MP, MC, P and DS, except MM in which the extent of water was found to be significantly (P<0.05) lower than MC. The risk of adulteration at DS, MM, MC and P was found non-significant (P>0.05) with each other, but significantly (P<0.05) higher than MP.