Pune: The intense heat wave gripping Pune, with temperatures exceeding 40°C, is leading to a frustrating issue for local consumers: dairy products are spoiling prematurely, turning everyday items like milk, lassi, and chaas (buttermilk) into sour disappointments long before their stated expiry dates.
Across the city, residents are opening pouches expecting fresh dairy, only to be met with an unwelcome sourness. Anita Joshi, a resident of NIBM Road, experienced this first-hand. “I ordered six packets of milk online, expecting them to last me a couple of days. But as soon as I tried to boil the first one, it curdled. To my dismay, the other five packets met the same fate.”
Similarly, Niharika Singh from Aundh encountered a sour surprise with a packet of buttermilk she bought for a refreshing drink after her commute in the heat.
“I bought a packet of buttermilk from a local store after picking my children up from school, hoping for something cool off. But it was incredibly sour and had a strong and unpleasant smell. We checked the date, and it still had two days until expiry. We had to throw it away,” Sameeksha Barman, another NIBM Road resident, said.
Unlike the tetra packs, which have insulated layers and don’t require cold chain storage, plastic pouches are vulnerable to temperature swings and rely heavily on refrigeration from factory to fridge.
Sanjay Jadhav, who runs a grocery shop in Undri, said, “We try to keep everything refrigerated, but when there is a power cut there is nothing much we can do about it. Milk packets are delivered to us in crates, and we immediately refrigerate them.”
However, many shopkeepers leave the milk packets in crates for long periods before they put them in the fridge. Several videos circulating on social media show activists conducting temperature checks at kirana stores, supermarkets, and even at major retail chains. Many content creators show packets stored on warm racks or near open doors, instead of in the coolers. According to distributors, milk pouches must be stored below 8°C.
Citizens must exercise caution while drinking such beverages straight out of the packet by first checking the smell and texture of such beverages before use, regardless of the expiry date. Consuming spoilt dairy products can lead to stomach infections and other digestive distress. Dr Suhas Rajput, general physician, said, “Spoiled dairy products can lead to serious stomach infections, especially in children, elders and anyone with compromised immunity. We have seen a spike in such cases this month.”
Many have switched to purchasing tetra packs instead of their regular milk pouches to combat the issue. Smita Jha, a resident of Kondhwa, said, “Imagine the milk curdling when there are guests at home waiting for tea and then having to scramble to the grocery shop at the last moment. Even though it is more expensive, I nowadays purchase tetra packs of milk to avoid such incidents.”
