An investigation into the synthetic milk trade has uncovered an alleged network operating along the Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh belt, with workers claiming that 20 litres of milk can be converted into about 80 litres within minutes by mixing it with other substances. The report says the product is then moved into major markets in Uttar Pradesh and beyond, raising serious questions over food safety and enforcement.
How the synthetic milk was allegedly made
The report says the process begins with a white paste prepared from soy oil and detergent paste, which is then mixed into around 60 litres of water. After that, 20 litres of milk and other additives, including skimmed milk powder, are used to thicken the mixture and increase volume. According to the account shown in the screenshots, one litre of such milk can be prepared for about Rs 25, with profits of Rs 25 to Rs 30 per litre.
The report further says the trade uses different grades of adulterated milk. Lower grades were described as containing smaller levels of dilution and additives, while the more heavily adulterated versions were said to contain over 80 per cent water along with soy oil, urea, detergent and other chemicals.
FCRF’s Flagship Cyber Law Certification Returns With a New Four-Week Cohort
Supply chain stretches across border districts
The investigation says the synthetic milk trade is spread across districts on the Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh border, including Dholpur and Rajakhera in Rajasthan and Morena in Madhya Pradesh, besides parts of western Uttar Pradesh. The report says the multi state geography has made action more difficult.
The report says most of the adulterated milk is allegedly being pushed into Uttar Pradesh markets including Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Meerut and Noida, with some of it also reaching Delhi Noida markets. It also claims that traders often get advance information before enforcement action, allowing them to remove stocks before raids take place.
Health risks and weak enforcement under scrutiny
Medical warnings featured in the report describe serious health risks from the use of such ingredients. One expert said detergent mixed milk could damage the nervous system, while other observations in the report said starch can affect digestion and caustic soda can harm the liver and kidneys, with children likely to be among the worst affected.
The report says enforcement has struggled to match the scale of the trade. It states that despite repeated seizures, large volumes continue to move through the network. According to figures cited in the screenshots, from April 2025 to February 2026, 39,568 milk samples were collected in Uttar Pradesh and 15,361 of them failed, meaning about 40 per cent were found to be adulterated.
The findings have sharpened concern over the scale of milk adulteration in the region, especially because the alleged network is not confined to a single town or factory. The report presents the trade as an organised supply chain that depends on bulk production, cross border movement and weak detection, while unsafe milk continues to enter everyday consumption markets.
