KARACHI, May 16: Customs will not release the consignments of skimmed milk powder from East Europe and Russia detained on the confusing report of HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, saying “the milk powder has a low microbial load and may not be harmful for human consumption.”

“We will not release the consignments as the HEJ report is inconclusive,” a senior official in Appraisement Collectorate said. He said the Customs would have considered releasing the consignment had the report clearly stated that “the consignment is free from any microbial load.”

Customs had held up a number of consignments of skimmed milk powder last month on the request of Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA), claiming that the powder is adulterated.

Later the Customs had sent some samples to the HEJ Laboratory for testing the presence of micro organism such as bacteria, yeasts, molds and coliforms.

The HEJ Institute in its microbiological test report, sent to the Appraisement Collectorate on May 8, said that the sample, arrived from Ukraine, “showed low bacterial load.” No fungal and fecal contamination were detected in the sample.

No other toxicity assay was conducted.

“The sample of skimmed milk powder has a low microbial load and may not be harmful for human health,” HEJ said in its report.

To a query that why the consignments were blocked despite the fact that the report suggests that the milk power may not be harmful for human health, the official said, “the report is not conclusive and we cannot take risk of releasing the milk as it has still some microbiological load,” Appraisement Collectorate official said.

Collectorate sources said that around 15 consignments, carrying 250-300 tons of skimmed milk powder, worth $270,000, had been detained by the Customs out of around 1,000 tons that reached the port from East Europe.