The Times of India        12.01.2012

RMC starts taking milk samples

RAJKOT: The Rajkot Municipal Corporation
(RMC) has started taking milk samples from various parts of the city
after this newspaper reported almost 89 per cent of the milk samples
from Gujarat did not conform to the norms of the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

“We have taken 70 milk samples on Wednesday and we will take 130 more.
Loose milk, pouch milk, and branded milk are being covered and the
samples will be sent to a laboratory in Baroda,” said an RMC official.
Rajkot city is considered to be a centre of milk adulteration in the
region. RMC and the city crime branch officials have carried out raids
on such centres but lack of timely prosecution and penalty has allowed
the racket to flourish.

Sources in RMC said that on an average,
RMC’s health department takes 25 to 30 milk samples randomly every year
and sends them for laboratory tests in Baroda.

“Every year,
around 20 to 30 per cent milk samples have been failed to meet the
required standards,” said an official. Earlier, prosecution had been
carried under Prevention of Food adulteration Act for those samples
failed. But now, the new act – Food Safety and Standard Act – has
replaced the old Act. “In under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act,
we have filed many cases in court but none of them have come into
hearing for the last few years due to pendency of the cases,” said
sources.