KARACHI, PAKISTAN: The milk and tea leaves used by almost every tea shop and stall across the city have been found to be alarmingly contaminated with harmful chemicals and substances, the Sindh Food Authority officials have said.
“100 per cent of samples of tea leaves and 90 per cent of milk samples collected in different areas have been found adulterated and contaminated with chemicals and added colours,” the officials added.
Speaking to Dawn on Saturday, they said that the SFA had recently inspected as many as 127 tea shops and stalls in different parts of Karachi to collect samples of the two major ingredients of the aromatic beverage prepared by boiling water, milk, sugar and cured leaves.
Their analysis showed that all of them were using contaminated and adulterated tea leaves, while only 10 per cent were using pure milk, they added.
They said that 80 per cent samples of the milk collected from 127 tea shops were found adulterated with different chemicals, while 10 per cent had water adulteration.
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They said, tea leaves in all 110 inspected tea stalls and shops were also found adulterated and contaminated.
SFA Director General Asif Jan Siddiqui said that the collected samples of the milk and tea leaves were examined by the collaborated laboratory of the SFA and the University of Karachi.
He said the authority had planned a strict action against the use of adulterated and contaminated ingredients of tea — a popular hot drink throughout the world.
“Strict action will be taken against those involved in the supply and business of the adulterated milk and tea leaves,” he added.
Mr Siddiqui said that the drive against the use of adulterated ingredients in chai had been launched in all seven districts of the city …
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