PREPARED BY: Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
Pakistan is the 4 largest milk-producing country in the world with annual production of 64 million tons (2020-21). Approximately, 80% of milk is produced at a small scale in rural areas, 15% peri-urban and 5% in urban areas. Most of the milk in the country is marketed in raw form. Only a small fraction (~5%) of the total milk produced is marketed through the formal marketing channel. In Pakistan, 95% of the total milk produced reaches the end consumer for immediate consumption through the informal multi-layered distribution system of middlemen (milkmen). This traditional marketing system is unorganized and unregulated, the quality of milk is hardly maintained and it is resulting in serious food safety issues at the consumer level.
There have been several researches conducted in different provinces and cities where the safety and quality of raw milk were explored. The informal channel of milk supply lacks proper transportation and storage facilities consequently quality of milk is lost. Raw milk is highly perishable and susceptible to microbial growth and survival, and is a vehicle of food‐borne pathogens. In addition to microbial contamination, residues from antimicrobial drugs, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and adulterants have also been found in milk that pose serious risks to human health.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality and safety of the loose milk samples collected from different regions of Pakistan. This study assessed the compositional compliance, and microbial quality of loose milk and determined the presence of any added adulterants, Aflatoxin M1 contamination, antibiotic residues, and heavy metals (Arsenic and Cadmium). 603 milk samples (perseason) were collected in the winter season (December 2021- April 2022) and summer season (May-August 2023) from 11 major cities of Pakistan. A stratified random sampling technique was used to collect samples considering weighing for city population size.
Our results found very low levels of adherence to food safety and quality standards (Pakistan Standard Specification, 2021). Only 8% of milk samples met the regulatory criteria of tested parameters. Of the 1206 milk samples, 46%samples were safe as per regulatory limits. These results are consistent with previous research conducted in Pakistan, indicating that consumption of loose milk represents a public health threat. This situation demands immediate intervention by regulatory authorities and a mass awareness of the consequences for consumer health and safety is required. Conclusively, it is the need of the hour that concrete measures should be adopted by the Government, regulatory bodies, and allied stakeholders to support the dairy industry in producing quality and safe milk for every household.
Principal Investigators:
Dr. Azmat Ullah Khan
Dr. Sanaullah Iqbal
Department of Food Science & Human
Nutrition, University of Veterinary and
Animal Sciences, Lahore
Research Associates:
Ms. Maham Parveen
Mr. Muhammad Khalid
Mr. Muhammad Ibrar Manzoor
Mr. Hammad Ali Khan
Mr. Mamoon Abdul Rauf
Research Team:
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nawaz
Dr. Waqas Ahmed
Dr. Muhammad Sohaib
Dr. Muhammad Asif Ali
Mr. Ahmad Ali
Dr. Ijaz Ahmad
Dr. Mateen Abbas
Prof. Dr. Umar Farooq
Prof. Dr. Aijaz Hussain Soomro
Dr. Muhammad Jahangir
Dr. Muhammad Akram Khan
Dr. Shahina Naz
Dr. Syed Muhammad Ghufran Saeed
Dr. Tahir Mehmood