Amul, Country Delight, Mother Dairy milk fail quality check: How safe are we?

How would you react if the milk you drink in your daily cup of chai or coffee isn’t safe? A recent investigation by Trustified revealed that milk samples from India’s most trusted brands – Amul, Mother Dairy and Country Delight – failed to meet the quality parameters.

This means that the milk we, our children and our elders consume is not safe.

According to Trustified, an independent laboratory testing program, milk samples of the above brands were investigated to check for Total Plate Count (TPC) and coliform bacteria, factors that reveal if the milk is free from disease-causing bacteria. Although the presence of coliform is not dangerous, higher concentrations increase the presence of other harmful bacteria.

Microbiological testing was conducted, which determined whether the product is safe to consume or not.

The results were shocking.

Mother Dairy cow milk failed in TPC recording 2,40,000 CFU/ml, which, according to Trustified, is nearly eight times higher than the prescribed limit (FSSAI) of 30,000 CFU/ml.

Country Delight cow milk, which has an aggressive marketing campaign promoting “fresh milk straight from the farmlands to your homes,” the TPC levels were found to be twice as much, 60,000 CFU/ml, compared to the safety limit, which is 30,000 CFU/ml.

A large amount of coliform bacteria was found in Amul Taaza and Amul Gold milk, way above the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) mandated safe limits. Coliforms were 980 CFU/ml in Amul Taaza, while 25CFU/ml in Amul Gold.

It’s not just milk. Curd is also proving dangerous.

In January this year, Trustified conducted tests on Amul Dahi, specifically the Masti Dahi, and found 2,100 times more coliform bacteria and 60 times more yeast and mould, indicating clear lapses in food safety standards.

Amul had refuted the findings, stating that their products meet FSSAI standards. And FSSAI has not yet commented on the findings.

Another major household product, Eggoz Nutrition India, used by millions as their daily protein intake, also failed a quality test conducted by Trustified. In December last year, their YouTube channel posted a video showing traces of banned AOZ (3-amino-2-oxazolidinone) in its eggs.

AOZ contains potential long-term cancer risks and is banned in many countries.

Amul, Country Delight, Mother Dairy and Eggoz are not premium brands. They are accessible and found in every supermarket or a kirana shop across the country.

Likewise, milk, curd, eggs and others are not luxuries. They are essential daily items found in most households, such as your morning coffee, breakfast, lunch or raat ki chai.

Mother Dairy was established in 1974 and Country Delight was founded in 2015. But Amul is as old as India’s independence, starting from 1948. It is not just your daily packet of milk; it is more, spanning over generations, carrying an emotion.

So when quality checks of trusted brands fail, it leaves the common citizen grappling with questions on food safety and accountability in India’s food sector.