Major milk companies flout norms

Adulterated milk being supplied in abundance in Hyd

• Branded companies like Vijaya, Mother Dairy, Jersey, Dairy Life not following Food Safety Standards
• Section 272 of IPC calls for fine of mere Rs 1,000
• UP, Odisha, WB amended the Section 272 paving way for life term

Hyderabad: With the arrest of a small trader from Regimental Bazaar by the Commissioner's Task Force a couple of days ago on charges of selling banned drug, more skeletons seem to be tumbling out of the closet.

The Task Force sleuths, along with officers of Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Controlling Department, arrested Ch Damodar on charges of selling banned drug Oxytocin and operating a racket of selling adulterated milk from his company called KMB and recovered chemicals from his possession.

Ironical it may seem, but Damodar was arrested for a similar offence in February last year by the same Task Force team along with the Food Controller and Drug Inspector. He was then booked under the Food Safety and Standards Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Act and several Sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC). And this year, the same man was again charged for similar offence.

Investigations reveal that this is not an isolated case. According to analytical reports from the State Food Laboratory, Nacharam, bigger and branded milk companies including Vijaya, Mother Dairy, Jersey and Dairy Life are not following Food Safety Standards are not following Food Safety Standards. The report, prepared in March last year, shows that the samples do not match the standard of total plate count, coli form count and also contain E.coli and Salmonella pathogens which are harmful to health and unsafe.

Unfortunately, offenders can easily come out of the legal clutches as the current provisions of Section 272 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provide the maximum punishment of only six months, or a fine of Rs 1,000, or both, which is too little for an accused to act as a deterrent. “Selling spurious milk is an offence and considered to be life-threatening as per Section 34 of Food Act,” Balala Hakkula Sangham president Anuradha Rao said.

Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha have already amended the IPC Sections, making the offence attracting life term. It is cognizable, non-bailable and triable by Sessions Court. “The persons involved in this crime should be booked under attempt to murder. Section 272 of IPC should be amended,” Anuradha said.

Despite the illegal business thriving in the city, Section 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale) of the IPC could not be established, which is why the accused persons are back to business. When asked about this to B Limba Reddy, DCP, Task Force, he was non-committal and refused to draw any conclusion.

“Studies have found more than 80 percent of milk in city is adulterated. Since number of milking animals is dwindling fast, milk adulteration has increased manifold and what we are drinking is poison,” a leading nutritionist from the city said.

“Samples of all branded milk companies were submitted to State Food Laboratory, Nacharam in 2013 which came positive for e.coli and Salmonella pathogens. A petition was also filed in by Balala Hakkula Sangham in 2013 which is now pending at Lokayukta,” Anuradha added.