Unregistered dairies pose health hazard

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 22. Mushrooming of private dairies which bring in large quantities of milk from neighbouring states flouting quality norms holds a potential health hazard to Kerala.

In the absence of any effective Government mechanism to monitor the dairies, the assurance given by the Government in the State assembly in February last that flow of milk from outside the state would be curbed remained a waterline, according to reliable sources here.

At a meeting in early March, an understanding was reached between the Directorate of Fairy Development and dairy entrepreneurs that the Kerala Milk Marketing Co-operative Federation (MILMA) would supply 54,000 litres of milk per day to private dairies to minimise their dependence on outside states. However, since then private dairies had procured only 15,700 litres of milk from the federation, MILMA sources told here.

An estimated 32 private dairies are now functioning the state of which only a few were registered under the Milk and Milk Products Order 1992, according to sources. As the largest milk supplier in the State, MILMA supplied an average 6.5 lakh litres a day. The private dairies together is estimated to be selling 3.5 lakh litres. This showed that a huge quantity of milk supplied was brought from outside, sources said.

As per the Milk and Milk Products Order (MMPO) a dairy dealing in between 10,000 and 75,000 litres of milk a day should obtain licence from the state dairy development department and those handling above that quantity should have the central licence.

Aware of proliferation of illegal dairies, the directorate of diary development had the other day carried an advertisement in major dailies instructing the consumers to ensure that the milk sachet they bought had on them the MMPO registration mark.

According to sources, the Government agencies were yet to evolve an effective method to keep a strict tab on the quality and hygiene of the milk supplied by dairies, sources added.

- PTI

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Section  : Southern States
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