Health and Me

Ishita Srivastava

Bacteria Found in Amul Milk Pouches, Officials Urge Pasteurization

Bacteria Found in Amul Milk Pouches, Experts Urge Pasteurization

In a now viral video from Trustified, an independent testing platform, food testers claim that Amul Taaza and Gold milk pouches contain coliform bacteria levels 98 times higher than FSSAI’s prescribed limits.

Additionally, Mother Dairy and Country Delight milk pouches showed total plate count levels far above safe thresholds. Total plate count (TPC), also known as Aerobic plate count (APC), measures viable microbial contamination, with lower levels indicating better quality.

Last month, the agency also claimed that the Amul Masti Dahi sold in pouches showed high coliform bacteria, yeast and mold, while tetrapack milk and dahi sold in cups passed quality checks.

However, Amul has aggressively dismissed these allegations, citing them to be fear-mongering and noting that all of its products meet safety standards. Instead of manufacturing failure, the company has pointed to possible breaks in the cold chain at the retail or distribution level. 

According to ScienceDirect.com, coliform bacteria are rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria that do not form spores. They may or may not be able to move and they can break down lactose to produce acid and gas when grown at 35–37°C.

E. coli  is a specific type of coliform bacteria that lives in the intestines of humans and animals and can cause infections in your gut, urinary tract and other parts of your body.

Coliform bacteria typically doesn't cause serious illness but if high amounts of coliform bacteria are found, it suggests that harmful germs from feces, like bacteria, viruses or parasites, may also be present.

Certain strains of coliform bacteria can make you sick with watery diarrhea, vomiting and a fever, according to Cleveland Clinic.

In many Indian milking setups, milk is extracted by hand and there is a high possibility that cows' udders are not being cleaned thoroughly before extracting milk from them, making it easy for bacteria in the cow dung to contaminate milk. 

<h2>Why Is Milk Pasteurization Necessary?</h2>

Developed by Louis Pasteur in the 19th century, pasteurization is a critical food safety process that involves heating liquids, most commonly milk but also juice, eggs and beer, to a specific temperature for a set period to destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, and pathogens including E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Salmonella.

This process significantly reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses such as typhoid, tuberculosis, and listeriosis without significantly altering the nutritional value or taste of the product.

In most milk processing plants, chilled raw milk is heated by passing it between heated stainless-steel plates until it reaches 161 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s then held at that temperature for at least 15 seconds before it’s quickly cooled back to its original temperature of 39 degrees. 

Pasteurization is essential for children, pregnant women and the immunocompromised, as it prevents infections that can cause severe complications, including miscarriage or death.

Unlike sterilization, pasteurization does not destroy all microorganisms, which is why pasteurized milk must be kept refrigerated.

John Lucey, a food science professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, notes: "Pasteurization is an absolutely critical control point for making dairy products safe. There really isn’t another single aspect that is as important as it is. If there is a pathogen or anything in the milk that we don’t want, pasteurization destroys it. It is our industry’s shield."

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Milk Pasteurization

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In a now viral video from Trustified, an independent testing platform, food testers claim that Amul Taaza and Gold milk pouches contain coliform bacteria levels 98 times higher than FSSAI’s prescribed limits. Additionally, Mother Dairy and Country Delight milk pouches showed total plate count levels far above safe thresholds. Total plate count (TPC), also known as Aerobic plate count (APC), measures viable microbial contamination, with lower levels indicating better quality.Last month, the agency also claimed that the Amul Masti Dahi sold in pouches showed high coliform bacteria, yeast and mold, while tetrapack milk and dahi sold in cups passed quality checks.However, Amul has aggressively dismissed these allegations, citing them to be fear-mongering and noting that all of its products meet safety standards. Instead of manufacturing failure, the company has pointed to possible breaks in the cold chain at the retail or distribution level. What Is Coliform Bacteria?According to ScienceDirect.com, coliform bacteria are rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria that do not form spores. They may or may not be able to move and they can break down lactose to produce acid and gas when grown at 35–37°C.E. coli  is a specific type of coliform bacteria that lives in the intestines of humans and animals and can cause infections in your gut, urinary tract and other parts of your body. Coliform bacteria typically doesn't cause serious illness but if high amounts of coliform bacteria are found, it suggests that harmful germs from feces, like bacteria, viruses or parasites, may also be present. Certain strains of coliform bacteria can make you sick with watery diarrhea, vomiting and a fever, according to Cleveland Clinic.In many Indian milking setups, milk is extracted by hand and there is a high possibility that cows' udders are not being cleaned thoroughly before extracting milk from them, making it easy for bacteria in the cow dung to contaminate milk. Why Is Milk Pasteurization Necessary?Developed by Louis Pasteur in the 19th century, pasteurization is a critical food safety process that involves heating liquids, most commonly milk but also juice, eggs and beer, to a specific temperature for a set period to destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, and pathogens including E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Salmonella.This process significantly reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses such as typhoid, tuberculosis, and listeriosis without significantly altering the nutritional value or taste of the product.In most milk processing plants, chilled raw milk is heated by passing it between heated stainless-steel plates until it reaches 161 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s then held at that temperature for at least 15 seconds before it’s quickly cooled back to its original temperature of 39 degrees. Pasteurization is essential for children, pregnant women and the immunocompromised, as it prevents infections that can cause severe complications, including miscarriage or death.Unlike sterilization, pasteurization does not destroy all microorganisms, which is why pasteurized milk must be kept refrigerated.John Lucey, a food science professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, notes: "Pasteurization is an absolutely critical control point for making dairy products safe. There really isn’t another single aspect that is as important as it is. If there is a pathogen or anything in the milk that we don’t want, pasteurization destroys it. It is our industry’s shield."