Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod

Kasargod, March 26: The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) is currently investigating complaints regarding a strong, unpleasant odour in its packaged milk across Kasaragod district. Some consumers have likened the smell to kerosene. The issue first came to light after milk from the Mavungal dairy, near Kanhangad, was distributed on Saturday, with complaints continuing through Monday.

Consumers from Kanhangad, Nileshwar, Periya, Mavungal, Odayanchal, Pallikkara, and Padna reported that the milk emitted a pungent smell when boiled and tasted off in tea. Many customers returned their milk packets to local stores, leading to tense exchanges with shopkeepers.

Damodaran, a bus conductor from Anandashram, shared his experience of buying four packets of milk to make payasam for his wedding anniversary. "My daughter took a sip and immediately noticed something wrong. My wife and I also detected a strong smell, almost like kerosene. Even our cat refused to drink it," he said.

In response to the complaints, Milma ordered a recall of the affected batch, which contained 10,000 half-litre packets. To date, 5,000 packets have been returned, although some of these may have come from earlier batches, officials noted.

As the complaints grew, Milma carried out Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy tests at a laboratory in Kannur to identify potential contamination. The test uses infrared light to analyse a sample’s absorption or emission, providing insights into its molecular structure and composition. However, the results have not revealed any anomalies as of yet.

While Milma acknowledges the presence of the strong smell, the federation insists that no foreign substances were mixed with the milk.

Kasaragod dairy quality controller Vinoj explained that the initial assessment suggests the milk may have absorbed the odour from surrounding substances during transportation. “Milk has the ability to absorb strong smells, especially those with an oily nature,” he said. The Mavungal dairy sources its milk from Kasaragod, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

Dairy Manager Mathew Varghese reassured that all milk undergoes stringent quality checks before packaging. “We tested the samples in Milma’s lab but found no issues. Our laboratories maintain higher standards than even the food safety department’s facilities. For further verification, we may send samples to labs in Kochi or Mysuru. An investigation is ongoing, and measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

The Mavungal dairy supplies approximately 55,000 litres of milk daily.