No harmful chemical in locally-produced milk: Agri minister

Claiming that tests carried out in an Indian laboratory found no harmful chemical in locally-produced milk, agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque on Wednesday said it is completely safe for human consumption, reports UNB.

He made the remarks at a press conference arranged at the secretariat to present the report prepared by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC).

The minister said 16 samples of eight milk companies, including Milk Vita, Aarong Dairy, Farm Fresh and Igloo, were sent to SGS, the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, in Chennai for tests.
“It was seen after tests that there’s no problem in milk. It’s safe for consumption.”
He also said the samples of small milk companies will also be tested abroad.

Razzaque said most of the Bangladeshi laboratories are not capable of detecting heavy metal, detergent and antibiotics in milk. “So, we’ve the milk tested in SGS in Chennai and we received the report on Friday,” he said.

BARC director (nutrition) Monirul Islam presented the test report at the press conference.

Of the companies, milk of Milk Vita contained below 10 micrograms of streptomycin per kilogram while that of Pran Milk 0.6 microgram of chloramphenicol and both are under tolerant level for human body, he said, adding that locally-produced milk does not pose any health risk.

On 25 June, scientists said they found the traces of detergent and antibiotics in samples of raw and pasteurised milk of Pran, MilK Vita, Igloo, Aarong and Farm Fresh.

A new test conducted by professor ABM Faruque, former director of Dhaka University's Biomedical Research Centre, found the traces of antibiotics in pasteurised products of Pran, MilK Vita, Igloo, Aarong, and Farm Fresh.

On 16 July, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority claimed to have found excessive amount of lead in pasteurised milk produced by 11 licensed companies.

In a report submitted to the High Court, it had said it also found the presence of cadmium in the samples.

The 11 companies are Milk Vita, Dairy Fresh, Igloo, Farm Fresh, Aftab Milk, Ultra Milk, Aarong, Pran Milk, Ayron, Peura and Sef Brand.

On 28 July, the High Court instructed all the 14 pasteurised milk-producing companies to refrain from producing, marketing and selling milk for five weeks.

The order came as three separate laboratory tests found the presence of antibiotics -- Oxytetracycline, Tetracycline and Ciprofloxacin -- as well as lead in milk.

However, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court later stayed the HC order.