Campaign against Fresh Milk by Anchors on the name milk quality
The Real Debate: Fresh Milk vs Packaged Milk or Real Milk vs Fake Milk? A column by Dr Jassar Aftab. The debate is not whether milk is packaged or fresh. The real debate should be whether the milk is real or fake. Is it natural or artificial? Is it standard or substandard? Is it obtained from cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats, or camels, or is it simply milk powder dissolved in water to create a white liquid? The discussion should also include how much milk was actually produced from animals and how much is ultimately being sold in the market.
The real issue is not the packet but the quality, authenticity, and source of the milk. Fake, substandard, or unhealthy milk remains unacceptable whether it is sold loose or packed in a carton. Likewise, it is incorrect to claim that every packaged milk available in the market is of the highest quality, just as it is wrong to assume that every type of fresh milk is the best. Milk of varying quality exists in every category, and ensuring its quality is the responsibility of the relevant regulatory institutions.
کمپنیاں ڈیری فارمرز کو کیسے تباہ کرتی ہیں؟ پاکستان کے ڈیری سیکٹر پر کارپوریٹ حملے کی تفصیلات
Marketing Should Not Be Disguised as Public Awareness
Everyone has the right to promote their products. However, it is inappropriate to promote one product category over another by using professionals or professional organizations.
Companies wishing to market their products should do so openly under their own names. If professionals or professional bodies participate in such campaigns, they should clearly disclose who is funding the campaign.
From Medical Professionals to Television Anchors
Earlier, a few officials promoted packaged milk using the name of the Pakistan Medical Association. Following public criticism, the matter reached the highest authorities. Part of the campaign was censored, and eventually it was stopped.
Now, television anchors are being used for the same purpose, while the campaign has once again been revived under the name of the Pakistan Medical Association.
Can Anyone Guarantee the Quality of Every Packaged Milk?
How can an anchor or a medical professional guarantee that every packaged milk brand available across Pakistan is of high quality?
If an anchor appears as a model or actor in such television advertisements, the advertisement should clearly display “Paid Content” so viewers understand that it is a commercial promotion rather than the personal opinion of the anchor.
If, however, this is genuinely the personal opinion of an anchor, then it deserves reconsideration because millions of viewers trust these individuals and consider their statements to be reliable information. Such irresponsible messaging can negatively affect Pakistan’s economy.
Pakistan’s Dairy Economy Depends on Fresh Milk
The livestock sector plays one of the most important roles in Pakistan’s economy, and the largest share of that sector consists of the fresh milk market.
Traditionally, people throughout rural Pakistan keep livestock. Milk is consumed within villages, while surplus milk is sold fresh in nearby towns and cities. The rural economy depends not only on agriculture but also on livestock. Whether or not a rural household owns agricultural land, it usually owns at least one animal.
Alongside this traditional system, Pakistan also has modern dairy farms. However, the number of large commercial farms remains relatively small, and their contribution to total national milk production is limited.
The Same Production System Supplies Both Markets
This traditional production system supports Pakistan’s national food security as well as its rural economy.
Fresh milk sold in the market comes directly from this production system and has traditionally been preferred by consumers. Likewise, if packaged milk contains genuine milk, it also originates from this same production system.
How, then, is it possible to claim that milk sold fresh by a small vendor is harmful, while the same milk becomes completely acceptable simply because it has been processed and packed by a large company?
Processing Improves Safety Only If the Milk Is Genuine
It is true that pasteurization and UHT processing eliminate harmful microorganisms. However, this benefit exists only if the original milk itself is genuine.
Regulatory authorities may inspect loose milk sold by shopkeepers, but who consistently verifies the quality of every packaged milk product?
Consumers who purchase fresh milk usually know which milk seller provides better-quality milk and which one supplies poorer-quality milk. In contrast, how much does the average consumer actually know about the contents of packaged milk?
Important Questions for Anchors and Professionals
If doctors or television anchors personally support the promotion of packaged milk, several important questions deserve answers:
- Can anyone guarantee that every packaged milk product sold throughout Pakistan is completely safe?
- Can anyone guarantee that every milk carton contains genuine animal milk rather than synthetic or reconstituted ingredients?
- Can anyone honestly claim that all fresh milk sold across Pakistan is unhealthy or substandard?
- Can anyone guarantee that packaged milk is entirely free from adulteration?
- Can anyone explain the actual source of the enormous quantity of milk sold in packaged form?
- Can the dairy farms commonly shown in advertisements produce enough milk to meet Pakistan’s total demand?
- Are these anchors aware of the observations made by the Supreme Court regarding packaged milk?
- Have they ever examined who imports the huge quantities of low-quality milk powder entering Pakistan legally and, allegedly, illegally, and where this powder is ultimately used?
Promote Milk Quality, Not One Product Category
Television anchors, doctors, and public figures should certainly participate in public awareness campaigns about milk quality, proper milk handling, safe milk consumption, and consumer awareness.
However, they should not portray one category of milk as inherently dirty or unsafe while promoting another category.
Similarly, they should avoid promoting one commercial product category over another. Instead, they should educate the public about milk quality, safe handling practices, and better consumption habits, while allowing consumers to decide for themselves which type of milk best suits their needs.
Consumers Should Be Allowed to Choose
If this trend continues, then tomorrow the same arguments could be made about flour, sugar, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and every other food product—that consumers should stop buying them loose and purchase only packaged versions.
Such an approach would also have negative economic consequences because Pakistan’s poor and middle-class families, already struggling under severe inflation, would be forced to bear the additional cost of packaging.
Consumers deserve accurate information about product quality—not marketing campaigns disguised as public awareness. The responsibility of institutions should be to ensure the quality of all milk available in the market, while leaving the final purchasing decision to the people themselves.
تازہ دودھ کے خلاف مہم اب اینکرز کے ذریعے
مضامینِ نو، ڈاکٹر محمد جاسر آفتاب
