Kasaragod: Milma is conducting a detailed investigation following complaints of a strong odour from its packaged milk in Kasaragod district, with some consumers likening it to kerosene. The issue surfaced after milk from the Mavungal dairy near Kanhangad was distributed on Saturday, with complaints continuing until Monday.

Consumers across Kanhangad, Nileshwar, Periya, Mavungal, Odayanchal, Pallikkara, and Padna reported that the milk emitted a pungent smell when boiled and tasted off in tea. Many returned their packets to stores, leading to heated exchanges with shopkeepers.

Damodaran, a bus conductor from Anandashram, bought four packets to make payasam for his wedding anniversary but had to discard them. "My daughter took a sip and immediately found something wrong. My wife and I also noticed a strong smell, almost like kerosene. Even our cat refused to drink it," he said.

Milma ordered a recall of the affected batch, which consisted of 10,000 half-litre packets. So far, 5,000 packets have been returned, though some may include packets from previous batches, officials said.

As complaints mounted, Milma ran Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy tests at a lab in Kannur to identify possible contamination.

The test uses infrared light to analyse a sample's absorption or emission, providing information about its molecular structure and composition.

However, the tests did not reveal any anomalies. While Milma acknowledges the presence of a strong smell, it maintains that no foreign substances were mixed with the milk.

According to Kasaragod Dairy Quality Controller Vinoj, the initial assessment suggests that the milk may have absorbed the odour from nearby substances during transportation, as milk has the ability to absorb strong smells, especially those with an oily nature. The Mavungal dairy sources milk from Kasaragod, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

Dairy Manager Mathew Varghese said that all milk undergoes strict quality checks before packaging. “We tested the samples in Milma’s lab but found no issues. Our laboratories maintain higher standards than even the Food Safety Department’s facilities. For further verification, we may send samples to labs in Kochi or Mysuru. An investigation is ongoing, and measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

The Mavungal dairy supplies approximately 55,000 litres of milk daily.