ICAR-NDRI Commercialises 8 Technologies to Check Milk Quality

Milk quality testing is getting a technology push as the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute has commercialised eight technologies designed to assess milk quality and detect different forms of adulteration.

The technologies were developed by scientists at NDRI and have been transferred for commercial use. The move can help dairy cooperatives, processors, testing laboratories and other users access locally developed tools for checking milk quality. ICAR listed the development among recent agricultural research technologies reaching the market.

Testing milk beyond fat and protein

Milk quality is usually assessed through parameters such as fat, protein, acidity and other physical and chemical characteristics. Adulteration testing can also be needed when milk is suspected of containing substances that should not be present.

Rapid testing tools can help identify problems closer to the point of collection or processing. This can reduce dependence on sending every sample to a laboratory and allow dairy operators to make quicker decisions about the milk they receive.

The NDRI technologies are aimed at different aspects of milk quality assessment. Their commercialisation means the research has moved beyond laboratory development towards products that can be used by dairy-sector businesses and testing facilities.

Technology can help dairy farmers

Milk testing is closely linked to farmers because payment in organised dairy systems often depends on the quality and composition of milk supplied.

A reliable testing system can help determine milk characteristics at collection points. It can also support transparent transactions between farmers and dairy organisations when testing equipment is properly calibrated and operated.

For small dairy farmers, this matters because milk is often sold frequently, sometimes every day. Even small differences in quality measurements can affect the payment received over time.

Better testing can also help dairy processors maintain consistent quality. Early detection of adulteration or poor-quality milk can prevent unsuitable batches from entering processing chains.

Moving research from labs to the market

ICAR has been pushing research institutions to move technologies from laboratories into wider use. At its 97th Annual General Meeting on August 18, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called for stronger partnerships between ICAR and industry to speed up technology transfer.

ICAR’s wider record shows that hundreds of agricultural technologies have already been licensed or commercialised. Between 2018 and 2023, ICAR reported that 218 technologies and machines had been developed, with 75 licensed or commercialised during that period.

For dairy technology, commercialisation is important because a laboratory-tested method has limited value if farmers, collection centres and processors cannot access it.

The eight NDRI technologies add to India’s growing set of locally developed tools for dairy quality assessment. Their usefulness will depend on factors such as price, accuracy, ease of use and availability of technical support.

For farmers, the benefit will be strongest when reliable testing reaches milk collection centres rather than remaining limited to large processing plants.

The development also shows how agricultural research can address problems after production. Improving milk quality is not only about increasing production. It also requires better testing, handling and processing from the point where farmers supply milk to the final product.

If these technologies become widely available at affordable costs, they could give India’s dairy sector more tools to check quality and detect problems earlier.