Communication

Food Adulteration

Human being (or any living creature) has some basic necessities. Those are food, clothing and shelter. And out of these 3, food is the most important necessity. The diet of every person should be Pure, fresh, healthy and full of nutrients that are required for our body. But these days’ maximum food products (almost all processed food products) which are available in the market are adulterated.

Adulteration: It is a legal term, which means any food product that has failed to meet the legal standards. Adulteration is the process in which addition of unwanted substances is done to the food products, with similar appearance or colour for the purpose of increasing sales and making higher rate of profits. Adulteration is very common these days.

Food products are adulterated to increase the quantity of the food item in raw form or prepared form, which may result in the loss of actual quality of food item. Toxic chemicals which are added can be hazardous and dangerous to health. Adulteration lowers the quality of food and sometimes, toxic chemicals are also added which is hazardous to health. Sometimes it can lower immunity, sometimes in can cause problems in certain body parts or sometimes it may also lead to dangerous health problems like cancer.

Here is a list of most common adulterants in India:

Tea/Coffee: colored leaves/ tamarind seeds, mustard seeds and also chicori. [Causes -liver infection/ diarrhea]

Milk: water, chalk, urea, detergent, fat, caustic soda and skimmed milk. [Causes- stomach disorders]

Dal: metanil yellow [Causes- neurotoxicity]

 Honey: molasses sugar. (Causes- blood related disorders and injury to the liver)

 Wheat and other food grains: ergot fungus and small stones. (Causes- injury to digestive system)

Vegetables or fruits: oxytocin saccharin, wax, calcium carbide and copper sulphate.

   Fish: Formalin.

            

                             

These products are marketed in a tricky manner. The customers are cheated. One should prefer buying the products after checking the contents and FSSAI mark on the product package. Organic food products should be preferred as much as possible. Self-grown products (if possible) are the best option. Because precaution is better than cure!

                                            

Thank You!

Sources-

 https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/common-food-adulterants-in-india-1370601-2018-10-19

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adulterated_food

Thursday, 07 March 2019