Telangana: Vijaya Dairy milk in some centres found to be adulterated

Allegations have arisen suggesting that certain dairy farmers, in collaboration with personnel at Vijaya Dairy's milk procurement centers across four mandals in Siddipet district, were discovered to be adulterating milk by adding sugar and salt.

Siddipet: Some dairy farmers, with the help of some personnel working at Vijaya Dairy milk procurement centres in four mandals of Siddipet district, were allegedly found to be mixing sugar and salt in the milk. This was reportedly to increase SNF (Solids Not Fat) in the milk.

According to officials, farmers will get higher prices if the SNF of the milk is higher. After noticing that sugar and salt were added to the milk, Vijaya Dairy officials sent the milk from four villages of Cheriyal, Maddur and Komurvelly mandals back from Hyderabad twice. Normally, cow milk should have a minimum of 8 SNF and buffalo milk should have a minimum of 8.5 SNF.

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When the farmers could not maintain the SNF to that level due to poor feeding of cattle, the farmers with the help of personnel working in procurement centres were allegedly mixing salt and sugar in the milk.

This can cause health issues among the consumers, officials said, adding that after noticing the adulteration, milk from Cheriyal was sent back from Hyderabad a couple of times. However, they had failed to stop the adulteration and continued the act. On Friday, local Vijaya Dairy manager Murali stopped them from sending the milk to Hyderabad.

The 52 cans of milk, approximately with 1,000 litres, were then dummped on the premises of the Bulk Milk procurement centre at Cheryial on Friday. When the farmers argued, the manager showed evidence of sugar and salt in the milk.

Vijaya Dairy deputy director Gopal Singh said they found evidence of adulteration after conducting thorough tests. Speaking to Telangana Today, Chief Quality Controller of Vijaya Dairy in Telangana, B Raj Kumar, said farmers must feed nutrient food like 100 grams of mineral mixture twice a day besides feeding three parts green grass and one part dry grass every day.

Farmers should also feed composite fooders, which should contain grains, bran, mash, pellets, millets, protein cakes and agro-industrial by-products to milch cows and buffaloes.