Pakistan: Why all Karachi milk samples fail safety tests

All milk samples collected across Karachi have been declared unfit for human consumption, the Sindh High Court heard on Tuesday, after a damning quality-control report revealed widespread adulteration and unsafe practices throughout the city’s dairy supply chain.

The city commissioner has told the Sindh High Court (SHC) that every milk sample collected from across Karachi has failed quality and safety tests conducted by the Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), exposing alarming levels of contamination and adulteration in the city’s milk supply.

According to the report submitted on behalf of the commissioner, laboratory tests detected formalin in 22 samples and phosphate in eight, confirming what officials described as “extensive adulteration” linked to unsafe and unhygienic practices by farmers, wholesalers and retailers.

The report further stated that there was no justification for any increase in the price of fresh milk, particularly during winter when consumption of milk-based products declines, Dawn online reported.

The findings were presented before a two-judge SHC bench led by Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry, in connection with a 2023 petition filed by a dairy farmer challenging the official milk price fixed in October 2023. The commissioner submitted that the price notifications including the latest revisions were issued after meetings with all stakeholders and in line with court directives.

However, the report made clear that the deeper problem lay in unsafe handling practices across the supply chain. On the request of a milk retailer association, citywide samples were sent to the PSQCA, which declared all of them unfit for consumption. In a meeting held on Nov. 20, a PSQCA representative said the adulteration stemmed from “unhygienic practices adopted by farmers, wholesalers and retailers”.

In response, milk sellers’ associations were instructed to draft joint Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve hygiene and safety. These SOPs were submitted to the commissioner’s office on Nov 25.

A representative of the Bureau of Supply & Prices also informed the meeting that there was no basis for any milk price hike, adding that prices were in fact expected to fall in the coming month due to seasonal trends.

Subsequently, a new notification issued on Nov. 27 fixed the maximum retail price of fresh milk at Pak Rs220 (Dh2.95) per litre, with all associations bound to follow the notified rate, ensure correct measurement practices and comply with the newly drafted SOPs.