Sudden spike in prices of milk by the Mother Diary has led to a hustle in the society. But the real question is if the surge in prices worth the quality?

Milk, a pure liquid that all parents aspire to provide to their kids due to its high nutritive value has turned out to top the list of adulterated items consumed. Since milk is composed of roughly 87% water, the most common pollutant of milk is also water. Water, detergent, caustic soda, glucose, white paint and refined oil are used to befoul milk. Water thins the milk and increases its quantity whereas majority of the non-water adulterants add to the thickness and viscosity of the diluted milk and thus non-water contaminators are difficult to apprehend.

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, 68.7% of the milk and milk products sold in India are bastardized and henceforth contribute to the ill health of Indians. Adulterated milk impairs the functioning of vital organs causing severe diseases including cancer. According to a recent advisory issued by the World Health Organisation, if adulteration isn't put to a stop, a large section of India's population would be preys to fatal diseases like cancer by the end of 2025. Quality is an aspect that is ignored in the case of milk because adulterated milk has long term impacts on the human body and no short-term impacts, because of which we tend to ignore adulterated milk. Another reason why we ignore adulterants in milk is that since ancient times, we have seen milk as a source of strength and in order to sink into the fact that it can do harm to our bodies is a little heavy for humans. We drink two glasses of milk each day and feel that milk is doing its job and do not look at the purity of the milk.

Surge in prices without any improvement in the quality is not good for a consumer. A consumer would not mind spending money if they have the surety that the milk they consume is pure. Sadly, in the present circumstance the consumer pays soaring prices without assurance of quality. India is a milk producing as well as milk consuming society yet the quality of milk consumed is highly degraded.

India’s newest epidemic could be a Vitamin D deficiency and good quality and fortified milk could be the right prevention. The International Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that 80% of the people across urban India suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. Milk fortified with crucial nutrients is a better and a worth buying option for the people as it induces the required amount of nutrients entailed by the human body. This milk will prove to be an investment worth the cost as it would strengthen the body and mind and unlike contaminated milk would provide a healthier and a safer option in the long term. It is required that the consumers respond to this alarming situation and be aware about the quality, for quality is more important than quantity.

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