- Tests 1- Detect the Presence of Water in Milk
- Test 2 – Detect the Presence of Detergent in Milk
- Test 3 – Detect the Presence of Starch in Milk
- Concluding Note:
3 Quick Home Tests to Detect Water, Detergent, and Starch in the Milk
Don’t say you are one of those who just buy milk from your milkman (or milk-woman) at his/her face value? Or you just prefer a random brand because they claim to be 100% natural. If you are one of these then this blog is for you.
Did you know that two brothers became millionaires by selling synthetic milk in Delhi and UP? These brothers started selling milk on cycle and upgraded their lifestyle to a point where SUVs and gold jewelry became a very small part of their lives. For 7 years they sold synthetic milk and were caught only in 2019.
This is just one case that blew up to the national media level, imagine what is happening in the milk industry right now. Therefore, in this blog, we will help you to check the purity of your milk through some quick homemade tests given in the DART manual by FSSAI.
Test 1- Detect the Presence of Water in Milk
Water is one of the main constituents of milk. It comprises almost 85-90% of the milk and the rest is fat, proteins, lactose, and minerals. Water is not only one of the main constituents of milk but it is also one of the most used liquids to increase the volume of the milk. Therefore, how do we know if the milk we are getting is water-free or not?
In the DART manual by FSSAI, there are three easy steps given to check if water is additionally added to the milk in a noticeable quantity. The steps are:
Step number |
Steps |
1. |
On a slanting surface, drop a drop of milk and observe carefully. |
2. |
If the milk slides or leaves the surface immediately without leaving a mark, then probably it is adulterated milk. |
3. |
Pure milk generally stays or leaves with a white trail or mark. |
Source: DART Book, FSSAI
Test 2 – Detect the Presence of Detergent in Milk
Detergent is very commonly used in milk to prevent its curdling and increase its shelf life. The use of detergent in milk causes many infections and gastrointestinal complications. Therefore it is very important to check if your milk is adulterated with detergent or not. Here is one way to check the presence of detergent in the milk:
- Take equal quantities of milk and water (say 150ml each).
- Mix both the liquids in a glass jar and shake the mixture thoroughly for at least 30-40 seconds.
- If you can see a dense lather, then unfortunately you have been consuming milk adulterated with detergent.
- If your milk was pure, then a thin foam layer would form.
Source: DART Book, FSSAI
Recommended Reading
Here’s how bread companies are scamming you by selling unhealthy bread!
Test 3 – Detect the Presence of Starch in Milk
Starch is added to the milk to increase its solid content to keep the density constant while adding water. It is very easy to detect starch in the milk. Here are steps to detect the presence of starch in the milk:
- Take 2-3 ml of milk on a glass surface.
- Drop 2-3 drops of tincture of iodine or iodine solution on it.
- If the milk turns blue then it has starch in it, otherwise not.
Note: Iodine solution is easily available in the pharmacy shops and it doesn’t cost much.
Source: DART Book, FSSAI
Concluding Note:
Adulteration is almost everywhere. Therefore, we will always advise you to check your products before using them. Moreover, only order your products from a trustworthy source like Leap Club where the entire focus is on providing the customer a 100% natural product.
We hope that this blog will help to choose 100% natural products next time, till then,
Happy Healthy Shopping!