Aavin told to help farmers with loans

Chennai: Minister for dairy development Mano Thangaraj has urged all district-level Aavin officers to help dairy farmers in obtaining loans to buy cattle, their maintenance, and setting up of new sheds. In a meeting with sub-registrars on Wednesday, he asked them to ensure ‘spot acknowledgment’ method was expanded to all milk procurement centres in state. Under the initiative, quality of milk is assessed using lactometers and payment to farmers (supplying milk) is made within seven working days. Previously, milk was evaluated physically by officers. There was no standard method followed in fixing the prices.tnn

Two donate milk to GH breast milk bank

The breast milk bank in Ernakulam General Hospital collected breast milk from two mothers for the first time, as part of a World Breastfeeding Week program. The milk was tested for bacteria before being pasteurized and stored in the bank. It will be distributed to those in need after further testing. The bank usually collects milk from mothers who give birth at the hospital. In other news, a driver in Chennai has been suspended for selling adulterated milk, the state Food and Drug Administration found substandard milk in Mumbai, and Aavin agents in Madurai complain of a milk shortage.

FDA: 1% milk supply is substandard

During a surprise inspection in Mumbai, the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that 1% of milk supply was of substandard quality. FDA inspectors stopped 204 vehicles carrying 7.2 lakh litres of milk in packets at various checknakas and collected 346 samples. Three samples were found to be adulterated, resulting in 23 litres of milk being destroyed, and another 1,900 litres of low-quality milk was returned. The inspection is part of pre-festival checks carried out annually. The FDA will also be checking for adulteration among other foodstuffs before Diwali.

FSSAI begins milk & milk products' survey across 766 districts, to submit report by December

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a nationwide surveillance study on milk and milk products to combat adulteration. The study will run until October, with over 10,000 samples being collected across 766 districts. The aim is to assess compliance with food safety regulations, identify areas of adulteration, and develop strategies for corrective action. The study will cover a range of products, including milk, ghee, butter, curd, and ice cream, and will test for adulterants, contaminants, antibiotic residues, and microbiological indicators. The findings will be reported to the health ministry by December.