Is The Milk You Are Drinking Pure? 6 Hacks To Test Your Milk For Purity At Home

Milk adulteration has been a growing problem in India, and you may be wondering whether the milk you are consuming daily is 100% pure or not. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directed milk suppliers and dairy product manufacturers to improve their quality checks on milk after finding a startling amount of milk samples being adulterated. The main issue with milk adulteration is turning the nutritional product into a source of serious side effects for the people who are consuming it on a daily basis. According to the FSSAI Survey (2019), about 68.7% of milk samples tested across India were adulterated with water, detergent, starch, and synthetic compounds. When there are such adulterants in milk, what you are drinking every day may become a source of your health issues. To address milk adulteration and avoid getting health issues from drinking milk in the first place, the testing of milk purity at home becomes necessary.

6 Hacks To Test Your Milk For Purity At Home

1. Water Test

According to the Indian Journal of Dairy Science, there are simple household tests that can easily detect if your milk has been adulterated with water or not. The reason behind why this test works is that the milk has natural viscosity, fats, and proteins, which change when it is adulterated. Here are the steps to take to perform the water test for milk purity at home:

The water test to check if your milk is adulterated or not involves following a couple of simple steps. These steps are as follows:

• Take a drop of milk on a polished and clean surface.
• Then, you need to observe how it behaves after dropping it on the surface.
• If the milk is pure, then the milk drop will remain intact and flow slowly.
• But if the milk is adulterated with milk, then the milk drop will spread quickly and leave a distinct mark.

2. Starch Test

According to the Journal of Food Science and Technology, starch is a common adulterant in milk whose sources were of Indian origin. So, testing it becomes vital to ensure that you don't suffer from the side effects. This milk purity test involves:

• An iodine solution needs to be added to a glass of milk to detect whether iodine is present in it or not.
• The iodine should turn blue if starch is present in milk.
• There are various side effects involved with consuming milk that is laced with starch; these can be:
• Reducing the nutritional value of milk and milk-based products.
• Many people reported that adulterated milk consumption also gave them stomach discomfort, making it important to assess where your milk is coming from and what methods are being used to prepare products commonly sold in retail stores.
• It can prove dangerous for diabetic patients, as adulterated milk can spike the blood sugar levels.

Another study in the Discover Food journal also suggests that AI can be used as an advanced method for detecting starch and other adulterants in milk.

Read More: Cow Milk Vs Buffalo Milk: Which One Has More Protein?

3. Detergent Test

The detergent test is a way to check whether the milk, based on the basis of froth formation, indicates the presence of detergent in it. According to the Journal of Food Science and Technology, detergent is a common adulterant in milk, and it poses significant health risks. Here are simple steps to perform this milk purity test at home:

• Take about 5 to 10 ml of milk in a transparent glass.
• Add an equal amount of water and shake it vigorously to initiate the test.
• If the milk is pure, then there will be no persistent froth, and bubbles will disappear quickly.
• If the milk is adulterated with detergent, then a stable form or foam will form, similar to soapy water.

There are health risks associated with consuming milk that is laced with detergent, such as:

• Gastric irritation, such as stomach cramps, pain, and general discomfort.
• Long-term exposure to adulterated milk that has detergent in it can lead to kidney and liver damage.
• There may be toxic surfactants (chemicals that are dangerous to health and the environment) in detergents that can pose health risks to children.

4. Synthetic Milk Test

In order to check if your milk has been adulterated by the addition of synthetics, you can effectively check it through these tests. The synthetic milk test involves heating to reveal whether it has a distinct smell or is consistent throughout different varieties. The synthetic milk test can be easily performed through three stages to check the presence of synthetics:

Smell Test:

• Heat a small batch of milk; when milk is exposed to heat, it gives off a distinct smell.
• When your milk is pure, there is a mild, pleasant smell.
• But if the milk is adulterated, then it gives off a soapy or detergent-like odour.

Taste Test:

Synthetic milk can often taste bitter or soap-like, so do a taste test to make sure.

Dilution Test:

• Mix equal quantities of water and milk and shake them thoroughly.
• If there is persistent froth, then the milk is adulterated.

Heating Test:

When synthetic milk is heated, it can lead to a visible separation into a thick layer or separate abnormally.

These methods have been mentioned in the Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research, and they can visibly help you make sure your glass of milk is pure.

5. Urea Test

In India, urea is added to milk to artificially increase milk solids and fats to increase their quantity. Not only does urea pose a threat to public health, but it is also most commonly found in unregulated open milk sources. FSSAI has developed a litmus paper test to effectively determine if urea is present in milk. This test involves:

• Take about 5 ml of milk in a transparent glass to notice the changes.
• Add bromothymol blue (BTB) reagent or litmus paper to it; make sure it is dipped in the milk halfway through.
• If the milk is adulterated with urea, then the litmus paper will turn blue.
• If the milk is pure, then it will not change colour.

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6. Formalin Test

Formalin, or formaldehyde, in water is a serious adulterant that is added to milk for preservation beyond its normal shelf life. In order to curtail unsold milk products from rotting, adulterants may be added to avoid financial losses. To perform this test at home, you can follow these steps:

• Take about 10 ml of milk in a transparent container.
• Add 2 drops of concentrated sulphuric acid into it, carefully through the sides.
• If the milk is pure, then there will be no change.
• If the milk is adulterated, then a blue or violet ring appears at the line where the two liquids meet.

According to the Journal of Food Science and Technology, formalin is a common adulterant in milk that may cause cancers of the respiratory tract, irritation, and asthma-like symptoms as well. There may even be neurological effects from long-term consumption of milk with formalin, so checking your milk purity is crucial.

To ensure you are drinking pure milk, it is important to be aware of safe consumption practices. And you can easily use the above tests to check the milk purity at home and select safe milk sources for daily consumption.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.