Sellers stop milk supply in protest against PFA raids

LAHORE
Instead of improving quality of products and avoiding mixing hazardous chemicals in milk, the milkmen and sellers blocked many city roads in protest and demanded the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) not to take action against them.
Milk supply remained suspended in the provincial capital due to which citizens faced difficulties in getting loose milk, curd and other related products.
The milkmen, milk suppliers and sellers first gathered at Thokar Niaz Baig and blocked the Multan Road. They were chanting slogans against Punjab Food Authority (PFA) and terming it a barbaric organisation. They said the PFA is determined to end the loose milk supply business from the city. They added the authority’s daily checking should be halted immediately.
The blockage of Multan Road continued for almost three hours resulting in serious inconvenience for the commuters and road users. Following the block, traffic jams were seen at Raiwind Road, Multan Road, Canal Bank Road and internal roads of Johar Town and other nearby localities.
Later, the protesters broke into small groups and reached The Mall and blocked it outside Punjab Assembly building. A protest of nurses was already going on there. Once again the protesters demanded removal of Ayesha Mumtaz, Director Operations, PFA. They alleged that PFA officials were destroying thousands of litres of pure milk on daily in the garb of checking. They said PFA did not give them a chance to verify the laboratory results by sending samples to private laboratories and PFA officials destroy milk at the spot. This is incurring huge financial loss to the milkmen, suppliers and sellers of milk, they said. On the other hand, a senior PFA official said majority of citizens are consuming highly unhygienic and chemically contaminated milk, which is seriously affecting their health and when PFA starts action against the milk suppliers, they started propagating against the authority and its checking methodology. He said the mafia behind milk adulteration is so strong that in past they did not hesitate in giving threats to PFA officials for confiscating adulterated milk.
He added that in past they had often found formalin, a very dangerous chemical, in loose milk. He said other chemicals like urea, caustic soda, refined oil especially rancid oil and cheap cooking oil and commonly used detergents are also mixed in the milk to increase its shelve life as well as to remove the traces of adulteration and mixing of hazardous chemicals.
PFA authorities claimed that several milkmen also mix sewerage water as well as untreated tap water in the milk to increase its quantity. They said detergents are added to emulsify and dissolve oil in water, giving the frothy solution the characteristic of white colour. They said refined and rancid oil is used as a substitute for milk fat. Caustic soda is mixed in the milk to neutralise the effect of increased acidity, thereby preventing it from turning sour during transport. Urea/sugar is mixed for levelling the contents of solid-not-fat (SNF) as are present in the natural milk.
Later, DCO Lahore and other senior officials met a delegation of the protesting milkmen, sellers and suppliers and it was decided that PFA will not carry out any raid or get an FIR registered against any milkmen till Saturday. It was decided that a delegation of milkmen, suppliers and sellers will hold a meeting with the PFA authorities on Saturday to resolve the issue. The DCO said the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) will facilitate the milkmen at all forums and their true demands will be met.