Anna University invents device to tell if milk is pure

Anna University’s National Hub for Healthcare Instrumentation Development (NHHID) has developed a simple dip and read device called “synthetic milk detector,” to detect adulteration in milk. Speaking to DTNext on Monday, Prof K Sankaran, coordinator, National Hub for Healthcare Instrumentation Development and director, Centre with Potential for Excellence in Environmental Science at Anna University, said that milk could be seen in different forms, nutrient as well as pharmaceutical material. 

“When you have less calcium in your body, you will be asked to consume milk to increase the level. There are different kinds of adulterations in milk, including the mixing of urea and the addition of oil and detergent to produce synthetic milk. So far we did not have any simple tool to detect these kinds of adulteration in milk,” the professor said.

In an effort to help the common man detect the adulterated milk easily, the National Hub for Healthcare Instrumentation Development has developed a synthetic milk detector, which uses an electrochemical principle to detect the adulteration done in the daily used commodity. The national hub has also patented this technology, Prof Sankaran said. The hand-held dip-read device can be carried to any place and can be used to assess the purity of milk and also screen milk samples faster at milk collection centres.  

A small tester connected to the device is immersed in milk to detect its purity. When it detects adulteration, an LED light glows red. A green LED light glows when it is completely pure. “We have tested the new detection device in the Madhavaram dairy and at another milk collection centre as well to check its efficacy. We now plan to take it across the country for field tests through a private company, which will commercialise our product,” Prof Sankaran said. The device when manufactured commercially and hits the market next year, it will cost around Rs. 2,000.

Detecting adulteration