A
Feasibility Report on Food Adulteration
Place: Jammu & Kashmir
Date:13-04-2021
Acknowledgement
First and foremost, I take this
opportunity to thank the Prof. Gayathri N, who gave us this opportunity to
write a report on Food Adulteration. Bearing in mind the previous I am using
this opportunity to express my gratitude and special thanks to Masaraat Nazmeen
(Physiotherapist and Health Advisor) who despite of being extraordinarily busy
with his duties, took time out to hear, guide, and keep me on the correct path
and allowing me to carry out the project.
Preface
Adulteration is
the act of degrading food quality by incidental or intentional means through
the addition of chemicals, extraneous matter, etc. In a country like India
where there is a huge population to feed and there is lack of monitoring of
what reaches the consumer, the act of adulteration isn’t quite surprising.
Items of daily consumption like grains and milk, etc are found to be
adulterated much to our disregard. Food adulteration is done for the selfish
interest of food vendors for monetary gains and not only compromises on the
health of the consumer but also results in wastage of food which are discarded
if found adulterated. The country which faces a gap in the supply and demand
goes several steps back again due to this. Quite unknowingly, most of the
times, the food vendors indulge into such malpractices with callous disregard
to the health interests of the consumer by all possible means.
This report aims
at bringing out the answers to the following questions:
1. What
are the basic reasons behind why food samples are found non-compliant to FSSAI
guidelines?
2. What are the routes of food adulteration seen
in the India?
3. What
are the reasons behind food adulteration?
4. Finally,
we will be focusing on the remedies to the problem of food adulteration after
detailed cause analysis
Abstract
Food is any substance composed of carbohydrates,
water, fats and proteins, which can be eaten or drunk by humans or animals for
nutrition or very important aspect for life. Food products are often a target
of adulteration while supply chains usually deal with perishable products that
could be harmful to consumers if they are not managed properly. Economic
adulteration is a long-term problem affecting the food industry. Adulteration
in food has been a concern since the beginning of civilization, as it not only
decreases the quality of food products but also results in a number of ill
effects on health. Food adulteration involves the infusion of useless, harmful,
unnecessary substances to food which decreases the quality of food. The
problems of adulteration make the food items used in our daily life unsafe and
unhygienic for use due to poor handling. Adulteration in food items can cause
tremendous affect on health without our knowledge. If we tend to actively
participate in these changes then we can bring about a healthy and non
venturous future for the upcoming generations.
Introduction
Adulteration is a very serious problem posing serious
health risks to many in India. In every product there is adulteration. Starting
from our daily groceries, it moves on to our life saving medicines. The sinners
have not spared even infants’ milk products. Among man’s everyday needs, food
plays a major sustaining role. From the simple dish to the most elaborate haute
cuisine, food preparation is as varied and rich as a man’s taste. The lure of
riches and general apathy towards mankind has led to adulterants being added to
food from the simple stones in rice to the more harmful brick and boric powder.
Food adulteration is a process in which the quality of food is lowered
or reduced by replacing food ingredient or addition of non-authenticated
substances or removal of a vital component from food for the sake of earning
profit or due to other incidental reasons. Food adulteration ultimately
deceives consumers and leads various health risks. Nowadays, it is very
difficult to find a sector of food industry which is free of adulteration.
Because of that it is important for the consumer to know the common adulterants
and their effect on health since the increasing number of food producers and
the outstanding amount of foodstuffs import enables the producers to mislead
and cheat consumers. An adulterant are chemical substances which should not be
contained within our food or beverage, and may be intentionally added to more
expensive substances to increase visible quantities and reduce manufacturing
costs, or for some other deceptive or malicious purpose.
Food spoilage occurs mostly during handling from the
primary producers to the consumers. The awareness of consumers plays important
role in preventing food adulteration. Unawareness and unfair market behaviors
might endanger consumer health and misleading can lead to poisoning. Therefore,
basic screening tests should be known to common people.
In September 1998, the Canadian government warned its citizens not to consume any foodstuff cooked or processed in oil from India as it could be adulterated with argemone. Scores had died or were crippled in north India as unscrupulous traders mixed the fatal argemone oil to mustard oil to raise their profits. Human lives have such low value in India that it just passed off as another tragedy. Milk is being adulterated with synthetic chemicals and detergent powder that could cause irreparable damage. It is another flourishing business. In the trade, it is known as synthetic milk. The Delhi police in May 2000 seized 76,000 liters of adulterated milk packed in pouches similar to the ones of Mother Dairy run by the prestigious National Dairy Development Board. Elsewhere, in places like Bangalore, fat is being removed from milk and then sold after mixing it with harmful chemicals to whiten and thicken the thin liquid. When you move about in the market and see the attractively decorated sweets and other edible items your appetite becomes almost insatiable. And that’s what it is meant to do to you. Attract you to buy and eat. But wait! In the process you may be eating “Metanil yellow” a non-permitted coal tar dye commonly known as ‘Kishori Rang’, “Rhodamin-B”, “Lead Chromate” or perhaps “Ultra Marine Blue”. These are all non-permissible and banned colors and they cause serious health hazards and may also cause cancer in the long run. They are carcinogenic. We may be eating a dangerous dye, sawdust, soap stone, industrial starch, Aluminum foil and believe it, even cowdung! Invite disease rather than good health.
Method of Study
The report is prepared from the project that was
developed on the lab reports obtained from the Central Combined Laboratory,
West Bengal and the official website of the state of Karnataka between 2017-
2019. Then cause analysis of the data was conducted to figure out the reasons
underlying the cases of non-compliance of food samples. The cause analysis
helped to find out the gaps in the existing system of prevention of food
adulteration. After this, with each gap was addressed with a different approach
keeping in mind the least involvement of manpower and making the food supply
system more transparent and least loop holes. The study brings about the good
aspects of food adulteration laws of countries around the globe and what from
those laws can be adopted into the food adulteration laws of India.
Discussion and Findings
WAYS TO PREVENT
FOOD ADULTERATION
A
REMEDY FOR THE MENACE NAMED “FOOD ADULTERATION”
Through the detailed cause analysis, various reasons
behind the adulteration of food were revealed. The major problems seen in this
sector are related to and the possible remedies to them are as follows:
1. Improved
Storage facilities:
One
of the biggest problems seen in the food grains, legumes and spices is insect
infestation due to the humid and unhygienic conditions of the store house.
Remedy proposed: we need close monitoring of the storage conditions of food
grains by professional individuals There is a scope to improve the quality of
grains by keeping in track the incoming and outgoing samples along with their
dates so that “first in first out” can be applied here as well.
Additional
care must be given to check that insect infested grains from the fields do not
reach the storehouse as it might turn out to be threat for the healthy grains.
During the months of monsoon, and also in highly humid areas, extra care must
be taken so that grains are not spoiled.
2. Improved Handling practices: The
food handlers have to be well trained on how to handle grains to prevent damage
to the grains or quality loss.
3. Prevention
of Addition of extraneous matter, other oils, rice starch and other substances
for monetary gains by selling cheaper quality food at a higher price
Economically motivated food adulteration is widespread in our country.
4. Encouraging
food vendors who are found to be fair: The
food vendors who are found to sell good quality foods must be rewarded in
various ways so that the others are motivated to sell good quality products.
Positive motivation can act better than penalizations and prosecutions.
5. Education
to food vendors and all middle men: The
food vendors must be given training and told about the ill effects of
adulteration. They must be made aware that the adulterated foods also harm
their own family members.
Conclusions
The study brings out a clear picture of the present
scenario of food adulteration in India. It also highlights what are the main
areas on which the government should focus so that the menace of food
adulteration can be put to control. Through the cause analysis, it is clear
that the major areas India should focus on is to combat intentional food
adulteration for economic benefits, as most of the cases of non-compliance were
due to that. The ignorance and selfish interests of the middlemen have led them
into such malpractices. The key points that rose out of this study is as
followed:
1.
Education and regulation go hand in hand.
2.
Prevention of food adulteration in turn
prevents food wastage.
3. Digitalization and improved technology can revolutionize the present scenario of food safety.
Recommendation
It requires close monitoring and strategic planning to
combat such a wide spread problem. But the boon at present is the rapid
advancement of technology which can be utilized to against food adulteration.
Food safety apps for consumers, improved labs under the government and trained personnel
for supervision will together form a great weapon to fight food adulteration.
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