NDDB introduces milk adulteration testing kits for consumers

INDIA – The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has launched three milk adulteration detection kits aimed at making milk quality testing more accessible to consumers, dairy farmers and milk collection centres.

The household version of the testing kit is priced at US$2.52 (Rs 241) and is designed to help consumers identify common adulterants in milk.

The kits use colour-based chemical reactions, allowing users to determine the presence or absence of specific adulterants by mixing a small quantity of milk with designated reagents.

According to NDDB, testing can take between one second and five minutes, depending on the adulterant being examined. The household kit can detect four types of adulteration: urea, starch and cereal flours, neutralisers, and hydrogen peroxide.

The small kit contains five tests for each of the four adulterants, providing a total of 20 tests. Its compact design is intended to make milk quality screening convenient for household use.

The medium kit is intended for broader testing requirements and can detect five adulterants. It provides 100 tests for each adulterant, giving a total capacity of 500 tests.

The large kit is designed for more comprehensive milk quality screening. It can detect nine categories of adulterants, including urea, ammonia fertilisers, nitrate fertilisers, starch and cereal flours, sugar or sucrose, glucose, salt, neutralisers and hydrogen peroxide.

The kits have been developed by NDDB and will be manufactured by its wholly owned subsidiary, NDDB CALF Ltd.

The organisation said the products are compact, portable and designed for easy use. An improved colour comparison chart has also been incorporated to help users interpret test results.

Each production batch will undergo performance testing and carry a QR code that provides access to its batch verification report. The kits have a shelf life of nine months when stored under ambient conditions.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, launched the kits along with other dairy-sector initiatives.

He called for large-scale implementation and commercialisation of the technologies, particularly to strengthen milk quality testing at the grassroots level and dairy collection points.

NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah said the initiatives reflect the organisation’s efforts to make the dairy sector safer, more efficient, transparent and modern.

He also highlighted NDDB’s work with state governments and milk unions to establish new dairy cooperatives and strengthen existing ones under White Revolution 2.0.

To receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa, the Middle East and around the world, SUBSCRIBE HERE.