Shimla: In a breakthrough that could transform household food safety, a Himachal Pradesh-based researcher has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered device capable of detecting and removing harmful adulterants from milk, offering consumers a simple way to obtain cleaner and safer milk at home.
The innovation, named “Lacto-Pure,” has been developed by Sumit Rana, a Shimla resident and PhD holder in Organic Chemistry from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU). The device uses a combination of AI-enabled sensors and advanced membrane filtration technology to identify impurities such as urea, detergents, synthetic fats and other harmful substances before separating them from the milk.
According to the developers, the prototype has already secured design and production patents from the Indian Patent Office. The project was developed in collaboration with Jaidev, an MBA graduate from Dharamshala, and has been incubated at the NIT Hamirpur Incubation Centre under the Himachal Pradesh government’s Chief Minister’s Startup Scheme.
The startup received an Ignition Grant of ₹2 lakh from the incubation centre, which helped the team develop the prototype and complete the first phase of testing.
Speaking about the innovation, Sumit Rana said the idea took shape during his PhD research in Organic Chemistry at Himachal Pradesh University in 2021. With technical guidance and incubation support from NIT Hamirpur, the concept was transformed into a working prototype.
The device continuously analyses milk using AI-powered sensors. If it detects adulterants such as urea, detergents, synthetic fats or other suspicious substances, a specialised membrane filtration system is automatically activated.
The filtration process separates harmful contaminants while allowing the essential nutritional components of milk to pass through. The purification process takes only a few minutes, providing consumers with significantly cleaner milk.
The developers said the current prototype costs around ₹35,000 to manufacture. However, they expect the cost to fall to nearly ₹10,000 once the device enters mass production, making it affordable for middle-class households.
The compact domestic version of Lacto-Pure is designed to purify one litre of milk in about 10 minutes, making it suitable for everyday home use.
Besides the household model, the innovators are also developing larger-capacity filtration systems for commercial dairy plants. These industrial units will be capable of purifying hundreds of litres of milk in a single cycle, enabling dairy processors to enhance product quality and strengthen food safety standards.
The developers believe the technology could play a significant role in addressing the long-standing problem of milk adulteration in India by providing an efficient, AI-driven purification system for both domestic consumers and the dairy industry.
With patents secured and initial testing completed, the team is now working towards commercial production, hoping to make AI-powered milk purification accessible to households and dairy businesses across the country.
