How to Check Milk for Adulteration: 4 Simple Home Tests

Suspected milk tankers are caught in Gujarat again and again. Everyone at home drinks milk every day, so these simple checks are worth knowing. The guidance below is based on the household testing guide (DART) of FSSAI, India’s food safety authority.

1. Water in milk

1. Put a drop of milk on a polished, slanting surface.
2. Pure milk stays, or flows slowly and leaves a white trail behind.
3. Milk mixed with water flows away immediately without leaving a mark.

2. Detergent in milk

1. Mix 5–10 ml of milk with the same amount of water.
2. Shake well.
3. Detergent produces a dense lather; pure milk forms only a thin layer of foam.

3. Starch in milk, khoya and paneer

1. Add 2–3 drops of tincture of iodine directly to milk. (For khoya, chhena or paneer, first boil 2–3 ml of the sample in 5 ml of water and let it cool.)
2. If it turns blue, starch has been added.

4. Synthetic milk

• Synthetic milk leaves a bitter aftertaste.
• It feels soapy when rubbed between the fingers.

Where to complain

• FSSAI helpline: 1800 11 2100 (toll-free, 24×7)
• FSSAI Food Safety Connect app or online portal
• Gujarat consumer grievance helpline: 1800 233 5500 (toll-free; listed by FSSAI for food complaints)
• The Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat online complaint form
• If you know about a suspect tanker or dairy, tell Yuvrajsinh Jadeja’s team confidentially

These checks only give a hint. A conclusive result comes only from an accredited laboratory.