LAHORE: The dairy safety teams of Punjab Food Authority (PFA) disposed of 377,000 litres of adulterated milk and imposed a cumulative fine of Rs43.1 million during the ongoing operation against the milk adulteration mafia last month.

PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javaid told newsmen on Thursday that the teams had inspected more than 43 million litres of milk while examining 19,600 milk shops and over 52,500 milk carrier vehicles across the province.

He said the competent authority discarded 9,425 maunds of impure milk after proving contamination of polluted water, hazardous ingredients, low levels of fats and a lack of nutritional values in the milk during lacto scan tests.

He said harmful ingredients were used to increase the thickness and sustain the fat level of milk. He said the use of tainted milk poses a threat to users’ health and causes stomach and intestinal diseases. Daily checks on milk quality are being done to ensure a safe supply of milk to every household in Punjab by placing screening pickets, he added.

The director general further said that citizens can get milk tested free of cost by visiting the nearest PFA office with 200ml raw milk. He requested citizens to report adulterated milk suppliers on the Punjab Food Authority helpline.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024