FDA: 1% milk supply is substandard

MUMBAI: In a surprise inspection carried out across all the entry points to the city, the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors checked milk packets in the wee hours of Friday and found that 1% of the supply was of substandard quality.

According to FDA Joint Commissioner Shailesh Adhav, 204 vehicles carrying 7.2 lakh litres of milk in packets were stopped across the checknakas at Dahisar, Mulund, Mankhurd, Vashi and Airoli. “We collected 346 samples of which three samples were adulterated, leading to 23 litres of milk being destroyed,” said another FDA official. Another 1,900 litre of low-quality milk was returned. “In the previous year, we would find a higher percentage of adulteration in milk,” he said. The FDA raid is a part of pre-festival checks carried out annually. “The check on milk will be sudden, but as a matter of routine before Diwali, we will check for adulteration among foodstuffs such as mewa,” said the official.

Aavin agents complain about shortage of milk supply

Aavin agents and retail sellers in Madurai have complained to the district administration about not receiving enough milk from Aavin to meet demand. They are being forced to buy full boxes of milk packets, resulting in them having to spend more money or receive fewer packets. Despite a price increase in the premium milk packet, their commission per packet has not been increased. The agents have requested a meeting with the general manager, but their requests have been ignored, leading them to seek intervention from the collector.

Tamil Nadu: Butter and milk powder mix sold as milk to cooperative societies, one suspended

A driver in Chennai has been suspended after being caught mixing butter with milk powder and selling it to cooperative societies. The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (TNCMPF), which manufactures Aavin products, discovered the adulteration following complaints about the quality of milk processed at one of its plants. The driver, using a fake name, stole skimmed milk powder and butter from Aavin, mixed it with water, and supplied the adulterated milk to the nearest collection center. This is the fourth Aavin official to be suspended this year in connection with adulteration complaints.

Mumbai: Food samples collected from Bademiya for quality check

The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has obtained 10 food samples from Bademiya, a renowned eatery in south Mumbai, and may take further action if the samples do not meet quality standards. The FDA team inspected the kitchens and found severe infestations of pests, leading to the closure of one restaurant and two kitchen facilities. Bademiya's popular roadside food stall, however, has a valid license and can continue operations. The FDA has collected samples of raw and cooked food for analysis to check for sub-standard material and low-grade food color.