Milk — one of the most basic and daily foods in Indian homes — is now under the spotlight. Viral lab claims and recent police raids have made many people question how safe their everyday milk really is.

The debate started after an independent testing platform released a video claiming that some pouch milk samples showed very high bacterial levels. According to the platform, certain brands had coliform counts and total plate counts above safe limits. It also claimed that some pouch dahi samples showed high bacteria, yeast and mould levels, while tetra pack milk and cup-packed dahi passed the tests. Amul strongly denied the claims and said its products meet all safety standards. The company suggested that if contamination occurred, it may have happened during transport or storage due to a break in the cold chain — not at the factory.

Raids Add to Public Worry

Around the same time, food safety officials in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh raided illegal dairy units. In one case in Gujarat, officials said operators mixed milk with water, milk powder, detergent, oil, caustic soda and even urea to increase volume. Authorities destroyed large quantities of unsafe milk. These incidents have shaken consumer confidence and raised bigger questions about monitoring and enforcement.

What Is Really Happening?

Experts say people should understand a few basic facts before panicking. Coliform bacteria do not always mean human contamination. In India, it often comes from cow dung during manual milking if hygiene is poor. That is one reason why we traditionally boil milk at home. Most pouch milk is pasteurised using a process that heats it briefly to kill harmful germs. But pasteurisation does not make milk completely sterile. If milk is not kept cold during transport, at shops, or at home, bacteria can grow again. That is why you should always boil pouch milk before drinking it.

Tetra pack (UHT) milk is treated at much higher temperatures and packed in sterile conditions. That is why it lasts longer and is generally safer until opened.

What Can You Do?

Instead of worrying, follow some simple steps:

• Boil pouch milk as soon as you receive it.
• Store it properly in the refrigerator.
• If you want extra safety — especially for children or elderly family members — choose UHT milk.

If you are concerned about adulteration, simple home tests can help detect starch, detergent or urea. Affordable testing kits are also available online. We may not control the entire supply chain. But we can control how we handle milk at home — and that makes a big difference.

Source: CNBCTV18