Dhubri, July 10, 2023: Instances of the heightened distribution of advanced powder used in the production of artificial milk have come to light in Dhubri district, demanding immediate action against the involved businesses engaged in adulteration.

An undercover operation recently revealed that certain traders in Dhubri were actively selling an advanced powder specifically used for manufacturing artificial milk. Consequently, the pretense of the Food Safety Department’s efforts to assess milk quality has become a subject of public discourse in Dhubri.

It is worth mentioning that a Dhubri-based correspondent had long held suspicions that unscrupulous milk vendors were substituting a particular powdered product in place of genuine milk.

Subsequently, through a covertly-recorded encounter, a hand cart vendor was questioned about the powder while transporting sacks of “Skimmed Milk Powder” alongside other goods to a specific location. He revealed that the majority of the milk consumed by people and the tea sold by vendors was actually composed of this powdered substance. He also disclosed the locations where the powder was being sold and the individuals involved in its trade.

Every day, large quantities of cow and buffalo milk are brought into the city by numerous milk vendors from the surrounding char areas of Dhubri. Astonishingly, neither the district administration nor the Food Safety Department has ever conducted checks to ascertain the purity of the milk.

Consequently, the milk is sold across various marketplaces in the town of Dhubri, with some vendors even making door-to-door deliveries. Additionally, the majority of small and large tea and sweet shops, as well as restaurants, source their milk from these vendors operating in the char areas.

Regrettably, the food safety department’s officials have informed that there is no requisite equipment to accurately determine the quality of the milk, which has created a significant void of information in the public domain.

The pertinent question that arises is whether the administration and the food safety department have taken this grave issue of deceitful milk vendors, who operate without any restrictions and blend various chemicals and powders, seriously or not.

Recalling an incident on July 2, a milk vendor was caught mixing chemicals with milk on the roadside near Kachari Parghat in Dhubri. The incident triggered a widespread response from individuals across all walks of life in Dhubri, raising concerns over the authenticity of milk sold in the region.