Beware! Are we drinking milk with a health hazard called Oxytocin?

Rangareddy: Unmindful of the threat to health of people in general and children in particular, some fodder sellers in Ranga Reddy district are selling synthetic hormone injections, ed “Oxytocin”, to dairy farmers in the guise it will boost milk production and help them gain extra profit.

This came to light on Wednesday when a team of drug inspectors of the district made a surprise inspection of a fodder-selling shop at Lakshmareddypalem, in PeddaAmberpet municipality, and seized dozens of Oxytocin bottles.

Elaborating about the raid, a senior official from the Drug Control Administration (DCA) said, “On a tip-off, we made a surprise visit to the shop at Lakshmareddypalem where the owner was found selling synthetic hormone injections to dairy farmers along with fodder making them believe the injections will increase milk productivity.”

Oxytocin is administered to a pregnant woman during labour to begin or improve contractions. It is also used to reduce bleeding after childbirth.

It may also be used along with other medications or procedures to end a pregnancy.

However, the official said, the use of such injections on cattle may cause serious health complications in people, especially children, as it causes hormonal imbalance and may attract premature puberty at a younger age.

It is said the Government of India prohibited the use of Oxytocin injection on cattle given its harmful effects on people.

“The team of drug inspectors seized around fifty 250 ml unlabelled pet bottles purportedly containing Oxytocin from the shop and sent them to the drugs control laboratory for analysis. Later, the seized material was deposited in a court at Hayathnagar,” the official stated.

Headed by Anjum Abida, assistant director, Drug Control department, RR district, drug inspectors V Ravi Kumar, J Nagaraju and L Raju took part in the raid.