NDRI develops kit to detect adulteration in milk
Karnal: An innovative kit for the detection of maltodextrin, a degraded milk adulterant, was launched on the occasion of World Milk Day at the NDRI here on Thursday. The kit has been developed by scientists of the Dairy Chemistry Division of the NDRI, including Dr Rajan Sharma, Dr YS Rajput and Dr Bimlesh Mann. It can detect 0.01 per cent level of maltodextrin in milk. While inaugurating an exhibition on the theme “Quality milk for healthy life”, Dr RRB Singh, Director, NDRI, said that milk was one of the most precious gifts of nature which contained almost all nutrients required to support life and could be consumed by individuals of all ages. With 155.5 million tonnes of milk production in 2015-16, India enjoyed the distinction of being the highest milk producer across the globe amounting to 18.5 per cent of the total milk produced in the world. The Director maintained that adulteration of food products was a menace in Indian society and the NDRI had been working proactively to develop tools to tackle this. “A series of paper strip-based tests have been developed by the NDRI which can rapidly detect adulteration of milk with neutralisers, urea, glucose, hydrogen peroxide, sucrose and maltodextrin,” he said. “Maltodextrin is an adulterant of recent times and is a hydrolysed product of starch which is difficult to detect by existing methods. Unscrupulous people are adding maltodextrin in milk and various other products,” said Dr Rajan Sharma. “Although maltodextrin is not injurious to human health, its presence in milk lowers its nutritional value ,” said Dr Bimlesh Mann, Joint Director (Research).
Visit MODI festivals for selfie with PM!
Chandigarh: The BJP has set up Modi selfie points at the Making of Developed India (MODI) festivals being organised in the state to mark the three years of the Narendra Modi government. The visitors can click a selfie with the life-size cutout of the PM. “The Modi selfie points have been set up in view of the craze among people, particularly youngsters, to have a selfie with the PM,” said Rajiv Jain, media in charge of the state BJP. The party leaders visiting the festival will not only apprise the people of the achievements of the three years of the Modi government, but will also make them aware of its flagship schemes. Quiz competition and cultural events will also be organised during the festivals, in which youths can participate and win awards. Union Ministers Rao Inderjit Singh, Birender Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Maneka Gandhi are among those who inaugurated the festivals at different places in the state. Subhash Barala, state BJP chief, will inaugurate the festival in Hisar this Sunday and Health Minister Anil Vij in Ambala on June 9.
DGP congratulates woman Everester
Rewari: BS Sandhu, DGP, has congratulated Asha Singh, who recently scaled Mount Everest from China side, for her achievement and announced to award her as per the rules. Asha Singh, who returned to Rewari five days ago, rues that no representative of the state government reached Delhi Airport to receive her nor any BJP leader welcomed her here. Asha, a staff nurse and mother of two teenagers, is married to Ajay, an ASI of the Haryana Police currently posted here. He belongs to Nangalia village in Mahendragarh district. “It’s good to run the Beti Bachao,Beti Padhao (BBBP) mission to empower women but the BJP government should also honour women who bring laurels to the nation,” said Asha, adding that she had also hoisted the BBBP flag along with the Tricolour at Mount Everest.
