Who’s watching what we eat? Inside India’s food adulteration problem

When Bikaner-based graphic designer Laxmi Rajpurohit, 22, began noticing changes in the taste, smell and consistency of the milk her family was getting from a big, reputed brand, she suspected foul play and decided to take things in her hands. She had read about simple ways of testing milk at home to check for water, starch or detergent. For instance, an iodine test would reveal starch if the milk turns blue-black. She picked up the water test from the Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test, or DART, programme manual of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) .

She put droplets of the milk on a sloping surface. “It flowed quickly,” she says, “like water instead of leaving a thick white trail.” She complained to the company’s customer care, who asked her for further information about the product. She hasn’t heard back ever since.