Rapid Milk Adulteration Testing Kit Detects Seven Adulterants Using Colour-Based Results

The news

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology has developed a rapid milk adulteration testing kit that can detect seven types of adulterants using colour-based results. The kit was released by Principal Secretary Dr M. K. Shanmuga Sundaram during a farmers' fair at the university campus. Vice-Chancellor Dr Triveni Dutt and senior university officials were present at the event.

The kit, developed by a team from the College of Post-Harvest Technology and Food Processing, identifies starch, neutralisers, hydrogen peroxide, ammonium compounds, formalin, salt and nitrate. The project was led by Dr Harsh Panwar, with team members including Arundhati Ganesh Vandhare, Sitaram, Mayank Chaudhary and Agrima. The colour-based results are designed to offer a quick and simple screening method for milk adulteration.

What does the kit detect and how does it work?

The kit targets seven categories of adulterants: starch, neutralisers, hydrogen peroxide, ammonium compounds, formalin, salt and nitrate. It uses a colour-based result to indicate the presence of these substances, making the test easy to read without requiring laboratory equipment. However, as a screening test, it is intended to flag samples that may need further confirmatory analysis rather than to provide a quantitative measurement of adulteration.

Who developed the kit and what is the next step?

The kit was developed by the College of Post-Harvest Technology and Food Processing under the leadership of Dr Harsh Panwar. The team included Arundhati Ganesh Vandhare, Sitaram, Mayank Chaudhary and Agrima. A useful next step would be to validate the kit's performance across different milk samples and assess how easily users can interpret its colours. Clear instructions and training could support consistent testing, and where required, confirmatory laboratory analysis can help establish the nature and extent of suspected adulteration.