A nationwide survey pertaining to the quality of the available milk in the country has revealed that 54% of loose milk available in Pakistan is “unfit” for consumption after the results were revealed at a seminar in Lahore.
The survey was conducted by the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), aimed at providing the first nationally representative data on the safety and quality of loose milk in Pakistan.
The study — conducted by Nielsen, a research agency — collected 1,206 samples from 11 major cities and analysed them on five quality and safety parameters including composition, adulteration, antibiotic residues, aflatoxin M1, and heavy metals.
It was found that 92% of loose milk samples were non-compliant with the required quality and safety parameters, revealed principal investigator of this project UVAS, Associate Professor Dr Azmat Ullah Khan.
Speaking on the occasion, UVAS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmed said that his institution is working closely with livestock, poultry, dairy, meat, and food industries and playing its “leading role as a think tank to address wide-ranging issues plaguing the industry”.
Meanwhile, University of Education Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, while stressing consumer awareness, said that tractability is the only way to ensure food safety in our country.