CLAIM
A video purportedly showing the process of milk adulteration in India recently went viral on social media.
The video cites World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics and is accompanied by the caption: "As per WHO, India produces 14 crore litres of milk and sells around 50+ crore litres of milk. They say Indians are drinking poision and not milk... due to such huge adulteration, 87 percent of population in India could suffer from cancer. [sic]"
The video, shared by one Rohit Borana on Facebook, garnered a whopping 1.8 million views and has been shared over 87,000 times.
The video has also been independently shared by scores of others users on social media.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The video is NOT showing any adulteration of milk. As pointed out by SM Hoaxslayer, the viral video is actually of white phenyl that looks like milk after water is added to it.
So, the video shows water being added to phenyl concentrate which gives it the white colour.
Nevertheless, adulteration of milk and milk products in the country remains an issue of serious concern.
In September, a member of the Animal Welfare Board of India said that around 68.7 percent of milk and milk products sold in the country are not as per the standards laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The member, Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, was quoted by PTI as saying:
“The state of adulteration in milk and milk products in the country is such that 68.7 percent of milk and milk products sold are not as per the standards laid down by the FSSAI.”Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, Animal Welfare Board Member
WHO had also recently issued an advisory to the Government of India stating that if adulteration of milk and milk products is not checked immediately, 87 percent of citizens would be suffering from serious diseases like cancer by the year 2025, reported PTI.
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