By By Our Correspondent
THE Lahore High Court on Monday ordered the chairman of the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to appear before the court on November 17 in a petition challenging massive adulteration of milk by packaging and marketing companies.
The petitioner, Barrister Zafarullah Khan of Watan Party of Pakistan had submitted that 80 per cent milk supplied to market by milk companies was heavily adulterated to the extent of becoming poisonous and was a source several diseases.
He cited reports that 17,529 milk samples out of total 19,718 collected by food department in the last five years were found adulterated. This showed that 80 per cent milk consumed by people was contaminated and virtually poisonous, hence not fit for human consumption.
The petitioner also cited a report published in a newspaper on February 4, 2009, stating that dairy farms, milk supplying companies and other milk suppliers added various chemicals and unhygienic materials to milk. The court noted with concern that different local laboratories had no capacity to ascertain the level adulteration in milk.