Milk is readily consumed in Pakistan with people usually getting their daily supply from a milk vendor also known as the Doodhwala.
What they don’t realize is that the way it is packaged (usually in large, dirty plastic containers) and transported is a serious health hazard as it is highly likely to contain impurities and watered down. Around 91% of milk consumed in Pakistan is bought from various loose milk vendors while just 9% of all milk consumed in Pakistan is Packaged (either Pasteurized or UHT treated).
A major reason why people don’t go for packaged or UHT treated milk is that because they don’t know what makes it better. Another major reason is the cost involved as compared to buying it from a loose milk vendor is higher, they don’t realize that the added cost in processing the milk, ensures that it is more likely to be safe for consumption.
In the last few months, Punjab Food Authority (PFA), the Supreme Court, and other departments put various food products including milk in the spotlight.
Several oil and milk brands were deemed unfit for consumption due to their unhygienic treatment and packaging. Even though most milk brands were cleared by all authorities to be fit for consumption so much so that the Punjab Food Authority even published a list of approved milk brands that passed all their testing criteria, the public in general is still confused.
This poses the question, where should we buy our milk from if milk brands, as well as traditional milk vendors, are both unsafe?
Thankfully there is a way out of this: UHT treated milk packaged and Tetra Pak packaging.
What makes UHT milk safe? And how is Tetra Pak better than other packaging techniques?
Here’s why:
What is UHT and How Does Tetra Pak Help?
UHT stands for ultra-high temperature. During the UHT process milk is heated up to a temperature between 137-140 degrees Celsius for up to 4 seconds, it is then cooled immediately thereby killing off all the bacteria present in the milk. It is then put in a 6-layer Tetra Pak packaging, impervious to light and air, keeping the bacteria out of the milk.
One thing you may have noticed is the expiry date on packaged milk. You may be wondering, how you would know that a certain milk brand expires in 6 months. The reason for this is that despite being impervious to bacteria, the package can’t keep the oxygen out permanently. Trace amounts of oxygen can make it inside the package, which is why an estimated shelf life of 6 months is given to it.
Note that this is for when the milk is sealed, once you open up the pack it can expire within a few hours, just like regular milk thereby proving that it is natural and does not contain chemicals or preservatives.
Nutritional Value Compared to Regular Milk
Another question that may arise is how does it compare with regular milk in terms of nutritional value? There are several tests and checks performed at the point of milk collection to ensure that it meets a certain standard. It all depends on the company selling the milk and how stringent their checks are. PFA’s report about various milk brands can serve as a guide here, informing us about the companies that do meet the necessary health and safety requirements.
The same cannot be said for regular loose milk, which is not packaged properly and may be subject to additional bacteria from the environment. The Punjab Food Authority despite their best efforts cannot check the numerous loose milk vendors across the country so it’s all a guess as to which one is safe and which is not.
Just for money you bring this article against public interest. The process of homogenization (almost everybody use it) and long expirty date change the molecular structure of milk and thus it becomes dangerous for health. There is no wonder many countries use fresh milk which is just pesturized and put in bottles with an expiry date of 1 week.
It is impossible to “pesturize” milk. If you are talking about “pasteurzing” milk, that happens all the time. Perhaps in your village they “pesterize” milk?
I have not said anything against pestueurizing. Read carefully.
It’s taste is also not the same as natural milk.
Government discourages the consumption of packaged milk by imposing high taxes on it. Government seems to be against anything that leads to a better standard of living for the people. It taxes telecoms and internet access, packaged milk and breeds jihadis.
That is because less than 1% Pakistanis pay income tax. Somehow Pakistanis want zero income tax, but all the benefits. In countries like Norway and Sweden, the ultra-rich pay 40% income tax, which then funds telecoms, Internet access, and packaged milk, but discourages jihadis.
40% income tax in Norway and Sweden. Ok.
Tell me how much is total tax on a spending of 100 currency units and how much is in Pakistan. Also what is percentage of actual spending of tax money in all these countries. True answer will amaze you.
Well this forum is officially going down in terms of quality reading material and topics worth posted for public to read. The forum should be renamed, from ProPakistani, to “ToLetPakistani”.
Tetra Pak milk taste not like natural milk. And its taste like cream…
Perishable nature of milk & malpractices by open milk suppliers to mask biochemical activities by adding toxic substances are a very big risk for the community & mostly ignorant and judge quality by floating fat layers. Many hidden parameters can not be judged by the open milk consumer. On top of that 91 % open milk suppliers gang supported by few departments are active in propaganda against which is another sin without real knowledge for their own benefits. Packaging cost is no doubt a genuine issue that is charged from the consumers by packed milk industry and must work out this barrier. Otherwise no big deal switching over to a well regulated packed milk pass good raw milk through a validated process to ensure no foreign matter , no pathogens & treat in a way to offer a safe milk & convenient pack for the consumer. Local Authorities are actively taking up this matter but no sign to fix chronic issues unless consumer itself come forward & say NO to such unsafe milk.
My friend goes to the cattle farm himself once a week and buys fresh milk from them. You can also take the time out once a week and get fresh milk instead of altered milk in tetra paks.
Nothing can replace fresh milk. Our Prophet (PBUH) used to drink it and we will too. Tetra Pak can try doing business outside Pakistan.
Our Prophet (PBUH) also split the moon (Shaqq-ul-Qamar). Will you do this as well please?
Did he do it regularly like his Sunnah? No. His sunnah is what we can and should follow.
The Sunnah of Our Noble Prophet (PBUH) was to have 19 wives and concubines. Since the laws of Pakistan do not permit this, Pakistan should either change its laws or declare itself a hypocritical state. What are your thoughts on this matter?
Correct you information Not 19 wives.
Not sure why people like you always try to find a way to criticize on religion.
The shaikh of my mosque in New York said so. I will tell him you are calling him a liar. But then again, all Pakistanis die to come to USA. No American wants to go to Pakistan.
Read Islamic literature first before raising any question.
Who said you that all Pakistanis die to go to USA ..?
You are there, so you may have faced such situation.
But we are not interested.
If you are not interested, Sir, why then is your intelligence quotient similar to a philandering garden gnome? Remember that «after taking 900 mice, the cat set out on pilgrimage».
Really you may have some Psychological issue, you are connecting the things that have no connection at all.
I just asked you to correct your information, you said your shaikh told you ( To answer that I have provided a video link),
Then just to stretch you said Pakistanis die to come to USA. I answered that No we are not interested.
Now In reply you are referring some irrelevant quotes.
Correcting the information isn’t bad at all.
Take care..
Garden variety yard gnomes like you have no place in my playbook. How many Americans want to get Pakistani citizenship? ZERO! PS your milk sucks.
not all.. keep in mind
Read your Islamic history before talking. The number of noble wives and concubines combined was 19.
Youtube . com/watch?v=zYckwQBo9iA
No need to quote Qur’an to me when Imran Khan has admitted in Los Angeles Superior Court (in USA) that he has fathered an illegitimate child. I feel that US politicians are fairer and more just than two-faced Pakistanis. PS your milk still sucks.
Splitting moon was a miracle and drinking milk is a routine habit. no relation.
“once you open up the pack it can expire within a few hours, just like regular milk”. I wonder why my tetra pack’s taste doesn’t change after 24 hours if it expires in few hours?
1 litre packed milk is availble in rs130. I can spend another rs 50 if these companies can assure me a little honesty
What a farce. Anyone who is able to read your marketing material must be able to read the comments underneath. So stop wasting money in deceptive articles and compete by lowering your prices to as low as loose milk. Otherwise, get lost.
Its so easy to debunk your bland and laughable claims, that its not even worth it.
I guess price is fair but we want healthy milk @ this price rate, not milky washing liquor in tetra packs.
Packed milk companies don’t sell milk. They sell liquid that resembles milk in appearance. There is no debate.
so whats the conclusion … should i stick to packed milk
I have said many countries use fresh milk in bottles, not all countries. And fresh milk in bottles means boiled milk with expiry date of 1 week not 6 months. Almost all middle east use this milk without any issues even though UHT and tetra packaging options are also available. Article forgot to mention that to extend shelf life of milk the companies have to go with homogenization and that is reason of health issue for this milk. Human body is not designed to digest this milk because they have played with the nature just for the sake to extend shelf life and profit potential.
my uncle was in “haleeb milk” saw they were putting “Urea khad” in your so called treated milk…