ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: The Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) has demanded of the authorities concerned to take measures to check the sale of toxic milk in Rawalpindi.

The CRCP said the toxic raw milk and some of the local pasteurized milk brands entailed serious health implications for the consumers, given the use of milk in almost every household on daily basis.

According to the CRCP, the deplorable situation could largely be attributed to the poor enforcement of existing food laws and ineffective quality control mechanism in the country.

This concern comes in response to the findings of a study conducted by the Microbiology Laboratory of Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH).

The research study revealed that raw milk and some local brands of pasteurized milk being marketed in Rawalpindi were harmful for human consumption because they contained harmful pathogenic bacteria.

The research report showed that consumers of the toxic milk were at a continuous risk of food-borne diseases. This was mainly due to non-compliance of the food industry with standardization procedures.

While highlighting the issue, the CRCP secretary general, Abrar Hafeez, said threats posed by the sale of toxic milk called for serious attention of the authorities concerned and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

He was of the view that the problem of toxicity and contamination of milk needed to be addressed on priority basis because it was a widely used commodity.

Pakistan has one of the highest per capita milk consumption in the world.

Mr Hafeez said the population in other cities could be exposed to similar health dangers. Therefore, the authorities need to take serious notice of this issue, he added.

He said laboratory tests of raw milk and various brands of local as well as multinational brands of pasteurized milk should be conducted on routine basis and the results be made public so that consumers do not purchase the harmful milk.

The CRCP secretary general demanded of the government to take immediate measures to prevent sale of toxic raw milk as well as the brands of processed milk that have been found harmful for human consumption.

He said the names of toxic milk bands should be made public to enable the consumers to make informed choices. He stressed the need for strict enforcement of existing food laws and quality control mechanism.