The Father of White Revolution, Dr Varghese Kurien, started operation flood in 1970 with a mission of making dairy farming India’s largest self-sustaining industry. It was his laudable efforts which made a milk-deficient nation, world’s largest milk producer. But he would have never thought that after all his efforts, the unorganised market would still lead in the milk category after all these years.

We have always debated over which is better in loose milk vs branded milk? Which one is unadulterated and has the most nutrition?

Let us first understand how is milk actually adulterated. In 2011, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted a research which stated that 70 percent of the milk samples collected from across the city were adulterated^[1]. Water is the most common adulterant in milk. It causes the nutrient value of milk to go down. If the water is contaminated it can also cause serious health problems to the consumer. Harmful substances like salt, detergents, and glucose are also used as adulterants to add to the viscosity of the milk. Starch was also found in many samples which prevent curdling of milk.

If you happen to consume that milk it may lead to food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications because of the detergents present in it. Other synthetic products can cause heart problems or even cancer.

Milkmen milk cows, store the milk in huge containers and deliver it to local dairies or directly to the consumer. This milk is not packaged, it is out there in the open. It is not processed and directly delivered to consumers. It is easily possible to adulterate this milk. Also when you buy milk from the dairy, you might have observed that the milk is stored in huge vessels. The milk is unhomogenized and thus the fat distribution is uneven. If you get milk from the bottom of the vessel it would have less fat content compared to the milk at the top, as fat is light.

There are many brands who provide customers packaged milk like Amul, Danone, Mahanand, Gowardhan, etc. these brands import milk or have their own dairy farms which provide them with milk. This milk then undergoes various processes like pasteurisation, sterilisation, UHT(Ultra High Treatment), etc. Thus these packs are free from bacteria which spoil the milk. Unlike the milk obtained from milkmen, you can store packaged milk at room temperature. These brands have stringent quality norms and all products have to exceed the quality expectations. Also, packaged milk comes in tetra packs which claim to be tamper-proof.

Thus we, at MilkandMore strongly recommend the branded, pasteurised milk. According to Dr Sunil Sharma, general physician, Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital, New Delhi, raw milk should never be consumed. “We have come across cases of brucellosis in past which is triggered primarily because of indigestion of raw/unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals. I would say it is always better to stick to pasteurised milk and be safe as raw milk consumption may also trigger milk-borne pathogen infections” ^[2].Also according to Dr Gargi Sharma, Delhi-based weight management expert  “Our lifestyle is such that we are now more prone to getting affected by bacterial and viral infections. One should not try risking oneself by drinking raw milk. Even after boiling, you can’t rely on it being absolutely safe for consumption.”

Now, stop debating on which is better. Always buy from a trusted source to consume the most nutrients possible.