IIT Madras Develops Device To Check Milk Adulteration In 30 Seconds

CHENNAI: Researchers from IIT Madras have created a low-cost, portable 3D paper-based device that can identify adulterated milk in under 30 seconds.

This new technology, which can be used at home and requires only a millilitre of the liquid sample to test for adulterants, differs from traditional laboratory-based methods in that it can be used at home. Detergents, soap, hydrogen peroxide, urea, starch, salt, and sodium hydrogen carbonate are just a few of the adulterants that the device can identify.

Dr. Pallab Sinha Mahapatra, an associate professor in the IIT Madras Department of Mechanical Engineering, served as the project's principal investigator along with research assistants Subhashis Patari and Driyankan Datta.

They collaborated on a study that was published in Nature, a peer-reviewed publication.

The middle layer of the three-dimensional paper-based microfluidic device is sandwiched between the top and bottom covers. Denser liquids can be transported at a constant speed because of this 3D architecture. Reagents are applied to the paper, then it is allowed to dry.

The paper layers are then glued to both sides of the support after drying, and the covers adhere with double-sided tape. The use of Whatman filter paper grade 4 in this construction permits the passage of fluids and the storage of more chemicals.

Depending on their solubility, all of the reagents employed in the device are dissolved in either distilled water or ethanol, according to Dr. Pallab Sinha Mahapatra. In order to identify all adulterants in various liquid samples, colorimetric detection techniques are used.

The reagent only reacts with the specified adulterant in this method and not with any milk constituents, making it a useful analytical tool to monitor liquid food safety and boost the traceability of tainted milk in distant parts of developing countries.

Milk is a necessary food for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but it is also one of the foods that is most frequently contaminated globally. Growing concerns about milk adulteration are being raised, especially in developing nations like India, Pakistan, China, and Brazil.

Consuming adulterated milk can result in a number of medical issues, such as kidney issues, infant mortality, gastrointestinal issues, diarrhoea, and even cancer. Overall, the new 3D paper-based portable device created by IIT Madras researchers is an inventive and affordable way to quickly and accurately detect milk adulteration.

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