LAHORE - Holding the packed milk sold in the open market fit for human consumption, Justice Ch Muhammad Tariq of the Lahore High Court Wednesday dismissed a writ petition which had claimed that the packed milk contained material which was highly hazardous to the human health. While dismissing the plea filed by Barrister Zafarullah Khan of Watan Party, the court relied on a report from foreign laboratory which showed that Milk is fit for human consumption. The petitioner had submitted that 80 per cent milk supplied to the market was poisonous and was source of their deaths. He contended that out of 19,718 samples of milk collected by food department in the last five years, almost 17,529 samples were found adulterated. He said, it means that all the milk consumed by the Lahorites was almost 80 per cent adulterated or contaminated milk and virtually poisonous. Petitioner had also relied upon a report published in a newspaper on Feb-4, 2009, which stated that, the dairy farms, milk supplying companies and other sources add various chemicals and unhygienic materials in the milk. Percentage of adulterants includes urea, or melamine (30 per cent), sub-standard cooking oil (70 per cent), powdered Singharas (40 per cent), unhygienic water (50 per cent), formalin, a chemical used by doctors to preserve human body (35 per cent), penicillin for enhancing the thickness and fragrance of milk (47 per cent), hair removing powder (29 per cent), zoonotic pathogens (27 per cent), and other adulterants including soda bicarbonate to improve the taste, urea to lend it uniformity and melamine are added as protein booster. The court had already appointed a committee for examination of the milk comprising Barrister Zafarullah, Shahzad Shaukat advocate, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, Barrister Sidra and two representatives of private milk companies. Barrister Ali Zafar submitted that the Court was naturally concerned by this and took cognizance of the matter while the packaged milk manufacturer whose reputation was being affected by such report also became parties to the case. He submitted that the court initially sent the samples of packaged milk to five different laboratories including PSCIR and the Punjab Food Department. He said all of these organizations declared packaged milk to be free from any contamination, however Watan Party was not satisfied with those reports and accordingly thereafter the Court with the consent of the Watan Party and all concerned decided to send the samples to the top International Food Inspector Eurofins based in Germany. He said samples of all packaged milk were collected from all over Pakistan and were sent to Germany. Zafar submitted that he is glad to inform the Court that Eurofins has given detail report in which all of the packaged milk has been declared fit for human consumption with no containments including melamine. Barrister Zafarullah Khan argued that even this report is not acceptable. Barrister Ali Zafar submitted that an oral objection to the report without any substantiating documents is not sufficient.