Packaged milk products cannot be healthy anymore if consumed after three days from the packaging date, the Food Safety department, Manipur on Wednesday said, urging the public to check the date of packaging and manufacturing and the 'best before' or the 'use by' date before buying any packaged food products.
Designated officer of Food Safety, Imphal West Tekcham Brojendro said that the maximum period for keeping pasteurised milk under consumable condition is three days when stored below minus five degree Celsius. Certain health hazards may occur if one consumes packaged milk after three days from the date of packaging, he said.
People consume milk as a healthy diet; however, it will not be healthy anymore if consumed after three days from the packaging date, he added.
According to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation, 2011, it is mandatory to print the manufacturing date and 'best before' date by indelible ink on the packages if any food products, he said.
Legal action can be taken against any company or industry which violates the food safety standard protocols, he cautioned.
He informed that the department has recently issued a warning to a pasteurised milk company, Chumthang for its product which is manufactured, packed and market by the Manipur Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Ltd for not following the mandatory protocols of the food safety rules.
The manufacturing dates printed on most of their pasteurised milk packets were found to be unclear and did not mention the 'use by' date, he added.
