LAHORE - Milk being supplied to the City contains disturbed concentration of essential minerals, besides being contaminated with bacteria and injurious to health chemicals, reveals a laboratory analysis report of milk samples collected from the animals in their original environment. The samples were collected from different areas considered as representative of the environment provided to the milk-producing animals. All the samples collected from the animals in their natural environment were declared unfit for human consumption by the Quality Operation Laboratory of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences due to presence of bacteria and hazardous chemicals including salfa drugs, aflatoxin and disturbed electrolyte balance of milk. Besides contamination of bacteria, 90 per cent of the samples were found contaminated with sulfa drugs and 40 per cent with aflatoxin. In all the samples, calsium and magnesium was found in lesser concentration and copper in higher concentration. Zinc was found in lesser concentration in five and in higher concentration in two samples. Iron was found in lesser concentration in three and in higher concentration in four milk samples. The experts believe that polluted environment in which cattle are kept and fed, and the artificial means adopted by the owners to get extra milk are responsible for changing the natural chemical balance of milk supplied to the citizens. Interestingly, there is no law under which milk can be chemically analysed and punishment awarded to the responsible persons. The concerned department can take action only against adulteration of milk with water. Sources say the Punjab government is in the process of formulating a new law to allow chemical and pathological analysis of milk to check adulteration of hazardous chemicals also. For the first time in Lahore, the city district government decided to carry out study of different aspects of milk related diseases and to identify chemicals causing hazards to human health. District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta directed the CDG food department to collect milk samples from the animals in their original environment. The food squad collected seven milk samples from Badar Colony Harbanspura, Qalandar Pura near water pond, Katchi Abadi Saggian off Bund Road, Taj Company Chowk adjacent to Gunda Nulla off Bund Road, Katchi Abadi Saggian Pul adjacent to Gunda Nulla and Dera Moveshian Bhama-Jhuggian. The selected places are generally representative of the environment provided to the cattle, which are desolate, barren, pond ridden and some of them are near the dry river bed, which is itself a Gunda Nulla carrying all the filth of the City. All the collected samples were submitted with the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Laboratory for chemical and pathological analysis. The laboratory declared all the samples unfit for human consumption due to contamination of bacteria and hazardous chemicals. Moreover, the concentration of essential minerals was either found high or less in all the milk samples.