KARACHI: The milk and tea leaves used by almost every tea shop and stall across the city have been found to be alarmingly contaminated with harmful chemicals and substances, the Sindh Food Authority (SFD) officials have said.

“100 per cent of samples of tea leaves and 90 per cent of milk samples collected in different areas have been found adulterated and contaminated with chemicals and added colours,” the officials added.

Speaking to Dawn on Saturday, they said that the SFA had recently inspected as many as 127 tea shops and stalls in different parts of Karachi to collect samples of the two major ingredients of the aromatic beverage prepared by boiling water, milk, sugar and cured leaves.

Their analysis showed that all of them were using contaminated and adulterated tea leaves, while only 10 per cent were using pure milk, they added.

Food Authority says milk was adulterated with detergent, carbonates, salt and water

They said that 80 per cent samples of the milk collected from 127 tea shops were found adulterated with different chemicals, while 10 per cent had water adulteration.

The sources added that the milk samples were found adulterated and contaminated with detergent, carbonates, salt, sugar, skimmed milk and added water.

They said, tea leaves in all 110 inspected tea stalls and shops were also found adulterated and contaminated.

SFA Director General Asif Jan Siddiqui said that the collected samples of the milk and tea leaves were examined by the collaborated laboratory of the SFA and the University of Karachi.

He said the authority had planned a strict action against the use of adulterated and contaminated ingredients of tea — a popular hot drink throughout the world. “Strict action will be taken against those involved in the supply and business of the adulterated milk and tea leaves,” he added.

Mr Siddiqui said that the drive against the use of adulterated ingredients in chai had been launched in all seven districts of the city and all 127 samples of the tea leaves contained polyphenols, a low-cost material found in different plants and used by manufactures and supplies to increase profit.

The SFA chief said that tea adulteration with other plants negatively impacts health, potentially leading to digestive issues and other complications.

He said that the adulterants diluted the natural polyphenol content of the tea, affecting its quality.

The officials said that the tea shops and stalls were selected in different localities across the city. The areas included Clifton, Saddar, Burns Road, old city areas, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Federal B Area, Gulshan Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Korangi, Shah Faisal, SITE, Keamari and Malir.

The district-wise report of the samples, available with Dawn, said that only 10 per cent sample were found adulterated with added water and did not have any other adulterants.

According to the district-wise break-up of the collected samples, he said that as many as 43 samples of milk were taken from as many shops in district South and 19 of them were found adulterated.

Nine out of 16 samples collected in Korangi were detected adulterated, 10 out of 20 in Malir, five out of 16 in East, six out of 13 in Keamari, three out of seven in West and two out of 12 samples in district Central.

Alarmingly, all 110 samples of tea leaves in seven districts were found adulterated with polyphenols.

Of them, 43 were taken in district South, 16 in Korangi, three in West, 13 in Keamari, 16 each in East and Malir and three in district Central.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025