there has to be ethics in adulteration too....just like honor amongst thieves!
Of course he can’t add too much because that will cause intestinal disturbance like diarrhea and vomiting. The stomach could bleed too.
Detergents
let’s legalize adulteration so that
way we will
know for sure
they are not mixing
alcohol in milk!
Yesterday the milkman
brought milk that
was more water
than milk itself.
So I tried
to humor him,
“Why did you
mix so much
water in the
milk? I have
water at home
…I will mix
it myself. You
just tell me
how much is
the legal limit.”
He smiles and
blushes and says, “”No,
no…Madam I did
not mix any water.
Yesterday the buffalo
drank too much
of water, no?
so more water
in milk.” he pulls out the photograph of his buffalo and shows it.
He is very
creative. That you
have to give
to him.
But I could
not resist, “I through
milk is got
from udders, where
are you getting
this milk from….his
ass? ”
“No, no.” he jumped in.
“Excess water comes
out of ass, no?”
He did not
give up instead
he gave me
a lecture on
all the types
of milk adulteration
that was possible
in the country. And
he explained how
he being a
good milk man
was just adding
water and not
the million chemicals
he could easily
add to extend
a pot of
milk into an
ocean of milk
and become filthy
rich.
Urea
It is added
to increase the
fat value. Once
the fat value
goes up he
can easily make
a little of
milk into two
or three…depending upon
the amount of
urea he could
add.Of course he can’t add too much because that will cause intestinal disturbance like diarrhea and vomiting. The stomach could bleed too.
Detergents
They increase the
fat value too.
And then again you
can add as
much water as
you want. But
don’t add too
much water or
else it will
bring up too
much foam to the
surface. And too much
detergents smell too…he
explained. But they don’t
cause much harm
to the body
if within legal
limits.
Formalin
Formalin in decent
amounts increases the
shelf life of
the milk. Milk has
shelf life of
24 hours and
if pasteurized 48
hours at 4
degree centigrade. But add formalin
and the shelf life
is increased to
four days. We
can add hydrogen
peroxide too for
increasing shelf life.
Starch
From wheat, corn, rice, tapioca are
great adulterants . They increase
fat content and
mask other adulterants.
And they are
cheap and can
be produced at
home. The nutritive
value of milk
decreases but so
what all sorts
of starch have
their own nutritive
value!
Sugar
Add sugar and
it increases lactometer
reading to mask
dilution with water.Salt can also
be added the
same way like
sugar.
Bone dust,
hydrogenated oils, animal fats
and many many
things….even tissue paper,
potatoes can be
added to help
keep milk concentration
to normal when
milk is diluted
with water….actually anything
that is white
in color and
cheap can be
added to milk
and then the
milk is to
be diluted with water
and doubled and
tripled as per
the demand….no, no not
the demand for
milk but the
demand for money
at the milkman’s
home!
I was amazed
at the brilliance
of my Indian people. All the chemistry
I learned in
school was useless
in front of
an uneducated milkman.
I had one
thing to ask, “the
authorities will not
catch you?”
“What a joke.”
He laughed. “India is
a free country
and you can
do whatever you
want…..if you want
to add tomato
into milk or
hydrochloric acid you
can do that
too…..just send the
authorities their monthly
bribe….. after all the
authorities are also
poor people and
need additional income!”
There is
a legal limit? I
had to ask.
“Yes.” he said there
is a legal
limit for everything. “ If I do too
much adulteration I will lose
my business.”
Yeah, very true
I have to
be alive if
he wants to
cheat me!
“And then Madam,
if we do
too much of all this
and something happens
to people then
the government authorities
have to do
lot of paper
work…so they keep
an eye on
us.”
then he went on to tell me
what will happen if I try to
replace him:
Even that company packets are opened
and mixed and repacked.
"the authorities don't catch those
people." I asked.
"What will happen to the thousands
who are employed in this illegal
business? India is a poor country
and everyone has mouths to feed even
the thieves, no?"
Milk for thought!
“So are you
mixing all this
in the milk
you are selling
me.” I asked.
“No, no…I told
you … my buffalo drank
too much water
yesterday. I will
never do that
to you. You
are my special
customer. you are so nice to
me so how can I do this to
you? ”
Well, I am
sure there are
a billion people
who believe in
him every morning.
Yeah India is
just a great country
and most of
the times despite
all the corruption,
ethical too!
The only problem
are our government
authorities who don’t
want to do
paper work, no
of course they
don’t want to do
field work also…..but
they keep an
eye and just
because of their
eye I am
alive!
So thank you
government for controlling
the quantity and
quality of adulteration.
P.S : I think
the time has
come to discuss
how much of all this
enhancement/ adulteration
is ethical! Instead of
breaking our heads
on great ethical
questions and wasting
our precious time
we should replace
lie with untruth
and then legalize
it and then
declare an upper
feasible limit…..because the
milkmen will not
change their attitude
so will not
this government or any other
government that comes
in its place.
hahahaha!! hilarious!
ReplyDeleteROFL.... That's complete root of milk business. Perfectly narrated the whole scam. Love your writing.
ReplyDelete