Prevalence of Milk Adulteration in Retail Dairy Shops of Kabul City and Its Public Health Implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62810/jnsr.v4i2.359Keywords:
Milk adulteration, Food Safety, public health, water dilution, chemical adulterantsAbstract
Milk, an extremely important source of nutrition worldwide, is currently under threat from practices of milk adulteration. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence and forms of milk adulteration in dairy shops across the city of Kabul and to estimate their epidemiological implications. A total of 66 raw milk samples were collected from 11 municipal districts and analyzed using lactometer readings, protein titration, and qualitative chemical tests with standard adulterants such as water, urea, starch, and detergent. Findings showed that 81.8% (95% CI: 70.4%–90.2%) of the samples were adulterated, 57.6% (95% CI: 44.8%–69.7%) of the diluted samples were found to be watered down, and 24.2% (95% CI: 14.5%–36.4%) were found to have been added to with other harmful substances. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of adulteration across districts (χ² = 48.07, p < 0.0001). The paper presents severe nutritional and health hazards associated with milk fraud, including low protein and fat levels and exposure to harmful chemicals. These results emphasize the need to rely on legal backing, conduct constant surveillance, and run publicity campaigns to ensure milk quality and safeguard consumer health in Kabul. This study provides valuable baseline data for policymaking and future food safety research in Afghanistan
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