Synthetic Milk: A health hazard to human lives

The synthetic milk technology was invented by milkmen of Kurukshetra (Haryana) about 15 years. The technology later spread to the other states like Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and the practice is feared to have been adopted in the deficit areas of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa too. Synthetic milk is prepared by mixing urea, caustic soda, refined oil (cheap cooking oil) and common detergents. Detergents are added to emulsify and dissolve the oil in water giving the frothy solution, the characteristic white colour of milk. Refined oil is used as a substitute for milk fat. Caustic soda is added to the blended milk to neutralize the acidity, thereby preventing it from turning sour during transport. Urea/ sugar are added for solid-not-fat (SNF). The above prepared synthetic milk looks like natural milk, except in taste and nutritional qualities. The cost of preparing synthetic milk is less than Rs. 5 per liter and it is sold to consumers at a price arranging between Rs. 12 – 18 per liter after blending it with natural milk. The use of synthetic milk has been found to have “cancerous” effects on human beings. Urea and caustic soda are very harmful to heart, lever and kidneys. Urea is an additional burden for kidneys as they have to do more work to remove urea from the body. Caustic soda which contains sodium acts as slow poison for those suffering from hypertension and heart ailments. Caustic soda also deprives the body from utilizing lysine, an essential amino acid in milk, which is required by growing babies. Such artificial milk is harmful for all, but is more dangerous for pregnant women, fetus and persons who are already having heart and kidney problems.

Chemically to detect urea, caustic soda, starch/ glucose, sugar, pond water or nitrate etc. at home for the consumers particularly for house wives is very difficult. But before utilizing the milk at home, house wives, consumers may see the main characteristics of natural milk and synthetic milk mentioned below in the table:

	Characteristics
Physical properties	Natural milk	Synthetic milk
Taste	No pronounced taste, but is slightly sweet to most persons (Palatable)	Bitter
Colour	White	White
pH (Hydrogen-ion concentration)	6.8 (acidic), which indicates that it is really somewhat on the acid side of neutrality (Natural)	10 -– 11 (Alkaline)
Texture	No soapy feeling if rubbed between fingers	Gives you a soapy feeling
Effect of heating	No change, continues to remain white on boiling	Turns yellowish on boiling
Effect on storage	No change in colour	Turns yellowish after sometime
If urea present	Weakly positive (light yellow)	Highly positive (intense yellow)

About the author:

M. L. Garg

Ex. Chief Chemist-cum-Incharge,

Govt. Analytical Laboratory

Sangrur - 148001