Written By: Dr Kiranjeet Kaur Coordinator, Chitkara University, Punjab
Being an excellent source of nutrients, milk has always been considered as a “complete food” by itself and hence consumed regularly by infants, young children, adults as well as elderly.
The milk is rich in calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins, potassium and vitamin D and an excellent source of protein. The key source of milk for human use includes animals like water buffalo, goat, sheep, camel, donkey, horse, reindeer, and yak. India, being the world’s largest milk producer, yield around 188 million tonnes of milk corresponding to 22 per cent of global milk production.
However, nowadays the safety of milk is of great concern. Do you wonder why? Let us find out. Whenever any animal falls sick or get a disease, the medicines called as ‘antibiotics’ are given to them for treatment purposes. It has been seen that most portion of the antibiotic is being broken down (metabolized) into small molecules inside the animal body, but few molecules (little portion) stay inside body and passes into milk for certain period. These molecules are known as ‘antibiotic residues’.
As per the guidelines ensuring the quality of milk, there is a permissible limit for the amount of residues in milk samples above which the milk is not recommended for human use. If these antibiotic residues are consumed, they affect the quality of milk and lead to allergic reactions, toxicity, carcinogens/ mutagens etc.
The research has shown the presence of antibiotic residues in milk samples obtained from different parts of India such as Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Thrissur etc. It seems that the lack of awareness among farmers makes things worse as they do not know what is right and what is wrong. However, following a simple rule of withdrawal period i.e. avoiding the distribution of milk from animals treated with antibiotics for at least for 14 days can do wonders.
Also, just following some simple steps as a consumer can really make a big difference. For instance, i) keeping milk in a clean utensil, ii) storage under favourable conditions i.e. refrigerated before consumption, iii) heat the milk properly before drinking, iv) Whenever possible, you must opt for antibiotic free milk and milk products. Share this information with loved ones to ensure a healthy and happy future!! For more information, please visit the website of www.preventit.in
