An apparent solidification time (AST) test was developed for the detection of foreign fats and oils in milk fat. AST values at 18°C for buffalo and cow milk fats ranged from 2 min 30 s to 2 min 48 s and 2 min 56 s to 3 min 26 s, while for pig body fat, goat body fat and hydrogenated vegetable oils, AST values were 1 min 30 s, 0 min 40 s and 1 min 50 s, respectively. Vegetable oils yielded no AST values, suggesting that adulteration can be detected using the AST method in the case of some but not all possible adulterants.

A fractionation technique followed by the apparent solidification time (AST) test was adopted for detecting the admixture of foreign oils and fats in milk fat. The AST values of the solid fraction obtained at 20°C, and solid and liquid fractions obtained at 18°C for pure cow milk fat, were 2 min 30 s, and 3 min 21 s and 3 min 31 s, while for buffalo milk fat they were 1 min 58 s, and 2 min 47 s and 3 min 10 s respectively. This new approach can detect some mixtures of foreign oils and fats in cow milk fat but not in buffalo milk fat.

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Fifty milk samples were collected from Godaulia and Pandeypur milk mandi of Varanasi district. A standard milk adulteration kit manufactured by HIMEDIA laboratories, Mumbai (India) was used for present study. The milk samples were tested for adulterants used and these were grouped in three classes i.e. Group I: Starch, Sucrose, Glucose and Skim Milk Powder, Group II: Acidity/Alkalinity, Neutralizers, Sodium Chloride and Urea; Group III: Formalin, Hydrogen Peroxide and Detergents. Under group first, all the samples tested were found negative for glucose, while 20% samples were positive for starch. In second group, 80% of the samples tested were found positive for Acidity/Alkalinity. In these samples the extent of adulteration with neutralizers, sodium chloride and urea were 28%, 80% and 60%, respectively. In third group, 30% of milk samples were positive for formalin and 36% for hydrogen peroxide. Similarly, 44% of milk samples were positive for detergents. Peroxide and formalin were generally used to enhance shelf life of milk. Detergents found may be due to low maintenance of milk tanks. The results of this investigation are concluding that milk marketed for public consumption is produced and handled under neglected sanitary measures. The relaxing milk control measures may give chance to greedy retailers and producers to adulterate produced milk to increase their gain.

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