Loose shrikhand can cause loose motions, says Ahmedabad-based CERC after testing

The tasty shrikhand you are buying from your neighbourhood mithaiwala could cause diarrhoea, vomiting, allergic reactions, gastric and respiratory problems, says a conducted by Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC). It recently tested samples of the sweet from independent local shops and found the content of yeast and mould to be much above the prescribed mark.

It is not known whether there have been alarming instances of people falling sick or being hospitalised due to shrikhand consumption. Local shopkeepers say that the cold chain needs to be maintained to ensure the quality of product.

CERC tested 10 samples of loose shrikhand, sourced from different areas of Ahmedabad city, for coliform, yeast and mould count as specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). These indicate deterioration and decomposition of the product.

Notably, the samples were tested against only one packaged brand of the yoghurt-based sweet, Amul. All the failed to comply with the yeast and mould count limits: where the acceptable standard is 50 per gram, the count varied from 443 per gram to 43,050 per gram.

Hearteningly, no coliform bacteria — an indication of faecal contamination, was found in any samples. The branded shrikhand complied on both microbiological parameters.

"Only milk and curd are used to make shrikhand," said Jaswant Patel, former president of Amdavad Mithai Farsan Association. "So adulteration is not an issue, and only approved flavours are used. It is necessary to maintain the cold chain, in absence of which the product can get spoiled. There is no other reason for the product to be substandard."

"High count of yeast and mould can cause various degrees of deterioration and decomposition of foods," said the report. "Dairy products with low pH value, such as yoghurt, are at high risk of being infested by unhealthy levels of yeast. Some moulds produce mycotoxins that can pose serious health risks. Other problems include allergic reactions and respiratory problems," said the report.

"Loose shrikhand may be perceived to be cheaper," said Pritee Shah, chief general manager of CERC, "which is not the case. Its price varies from Rs 80 to Rs 120 per 400 grams; packaged shrikhand costs around Rs 84 per 400 gram. The difference is nominal and some loose samples are even costlier. Preferring loose products only for the sake of taste is not a risk worth taking."