87% Indians to have cancer within 2 yrs due to adulterated milk? Govt says reports of WHO advisory false

The Union government on 19 January 2023 rejected a report which claimed that the World Health Organisation had warned India of adulteration in milk raising the risk of cancer.

The government said that no such advisory had been issued by the WHO, and false information is creating unnecessary panic among consumers.

The government said that the fake advisory claimed that if adulteration in milk and milk products is not checked immediately, then 87% of Indians would suffer from serious illnesses like cancer by 2025.

The issue has already been examined in the department in consultation with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the statement said. "WHO country office in India confirmed to FSSAI that no such advisory has been issued by WHO to Government of India ever," it added.

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The department said that this kind of false information being circulated on social media and on WhatsApp should not be given any credence whatsoever. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and FSSAI are taking all possible steps to help supply of safe and good quality milk to the consumers across the country, the statement said.

Milk production in the country has increased from 146.3 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 221.06 million tonnes (66.56 crore litres per day) in 2021-22 with the annual Growth Rate of 6.1 per cent.

The department had also conducted a study on demand of milk and milk product in India during 2019. As per the study, the total consumption at the all India level in 2019 was 162.4 million metric tonnes (44.50 Crore Kg per day) for milk and milk products.

Thus, milk production in the country is sufficient to meet the domestic demand, the department added. The quality of milk and milk products sold in market is governed by standards laid down and enforced by the FSSAI.

(With PTI inputs)