FOR GENERAL QUALITIES

Marking/Labelling

The following details shall be marked on the product label: a) Name of product b) Name and address of manufacturer c) Net weight d) Batch number e) MRP f) Date of manufacturing g) Expiry date/’Use by’ date h) Nutritional information i) Storage instructions • All brands have the required information on their

labels.

Health Benefits of Curd

Curd is full of calcium, vitamin D, protein and healthy gut bacteria. There is no doubt that curd is full of nutrition and will benefit you if you include it in your daily diet. Consider these benefits: a) Strong bones and teeth: Curd is a rich source of calcium and phosphorus and is essential for the

maintenance of strong bones and teeth. b) Helps boost immunity: Curd has been found to contain good bacteria that help to fight infections

and provide a boost to your immunity levels. c) Good for heart: Curd has been found to be great for the heart. It helps to control high blood pressure levels and lower cholesterol levels. Regular consumption of curd has been found to prevent the thickening of arteries. d) Good for digestion: Make sure to have a bowl of curd after you have eaten spicy food. The heat from

the food is neutralised by the curd that you consume. It is also great in treating peptic ulcers.

Is Branded Curd Better than the Homemade one?

Yes for mainly three reasons: a) The main ingredient that makes curd firmer and gives it a smooth texture is the high SNF content in the milk used. Commercially made curd will have higher SNF content (around 10 per cent), which is attained through techniques applied during manufacturing or through added SNF. Homemade curd will generally have SNF of around 8 per cent–9 per cent, which makes a big difference. b) The process followed commercially is highly standardised – for example, for how long to heat milk at what temperature, when to add the culture, for how long to set the curd in incubator, and so on. This is very difficult to follow at home, even if you know the parameters. c) The culture used in the commercial production of curd is monoculture of a single cloned bacterium or it may be a mixture of some specific bacteria. This brings consistency in the texture and taste. At home we use the culture from the previous curd, which can deteriorate over the period of reuse, and taste would change. Dear readers: We are open to hearing your suggestions on products and services that you believe should be reviewed/ tested by Team Consumer Voice. You may write to technical@consumer-voice.org