FOOD ADULTERATION NEED FOR CONSUMER ACTION
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Voluntary Health Association of India
Tong Swaathya Bhavan
40 Institutional Area, Near Qutab Hotel, New Delhi 11b 016, INDIA
Food Adulteration
Need for Consumer Action
by
Sanjoy Sengupta
Dr. Rama V. Baru
Voluntary Health Association of India
Tong Swasthya Bhawan
40, Institutional Area (Near Qutab Hotel), new Delhi-110016
Copyright © Voluntary Health Association of India 1994
Written by
Cover Courtesy
Production
Layout and Composing
Printed At
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:
Sanjoy Sengupta And Rama V. Baru
Boney
Communication Division of VHAI
Fortune Publishers, New Delhi-67
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Bengal Offset Works, Phone : 524200, 7510425
Information in this book is for dissemination and discussion.
Anybody can use and reuse it through any medium
provided proper acknowledgement is made to VHAI
Published by
Voluntary Health Association of India
Tong Swasthya Bhavan
40, Institutional Area (Near Qutab Hotel)
New Delhi 110016
Phones : 668071, 655871, 652953
Fax: 011-6853708; Grams: VOLHEALTH, N.D. 16
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The major contribution in compilation of this report was done by the Public Policy Division
in VHAI. We have used information from newspapers, books and journals towards the
compilation of this report.
We have also sent questionnaires to various consumer groups to elicit information
regarding their activities concerning Adulteration. We are extremely grateful to all those
organisations who responded to our questionnaire.
Our sincere thanks to the entire Public Policy Division specially to Mr. Prabhakar Rao, Ms.
Jessy George and Mr. Suresh Chauhan for their secretarial and general assistance.
Our thanks to Dr. Mira Shiva, Head, Public Policy Division, for her support and
encouragement.
Our sincere thanks to Ms. Christina De Sa for her inputs towards the compilation of this
report.
We would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Communication and information
Division towards the production of this publication.
New Delhi
February 1994
Sanjoy Sengupta
Rama V. Baru
Preface
For the past decade we (in the Public Policy Division) have been addressing the.issues of
rational drug use, commerciogenic diseases linked to baby food, pesticide, tobacco, liquor etc.
It has not merely been a question of overuse and misuse of these products but the very use of
some of these products which are known to be hazardous to health and have no business to
be in the market.
The concern about food adulteration is a serious and a growing one, mainly because of the
absence of consumer awareness. The fact that there are no facilities for food testing or
mechanisms for warning the public even if adulterated food has been identified raises an
important issue of accountability of producers to the consumer, absense of mechanism for
withdrawl of known adulterated products, ease with which money can buy false results. In
addition the absence of any system of paying compensation even when disability and death
occurs results in difficulty in assigning accountability.
Increasing chemicalization of food, basically means ‘more processing of food’ which
obviously results in the use of preservatives, colouring and flavouring agents for fruits,
vegetables fish and meat. These foods are often laced with pesticides and ‘economic gains’ are
made at the cost of ‘nutrition loss’. Increasing use of hormones and antibiotics in some of the
dairy animals, as is the pattern in the west is being advocated for dairy farmers and poultry.
While the objective may be to improve the animal’s health, the implications of this are known to
b? determined for human health and this must be made aware to the consumer.
Dipping of ladies fingers and other vegetables in ‘MALACHITE GREEN’, ‘COPPER
SULPHATE’ to give them the bright green colour which is very pleasing to the eyes of the
vegetable buyer, is a practice that must be discouraged because of the health hazards
associated with consumption of these toxic chemicals. Such practices can be stopped only if
consumers are made aware of health hazards and they put adequate pressure through various
forums to prevent these hazardous practices.
This booklet on food adulteration is a step in helping strengthen the hands of the consumer
since it provides basic information regarding adulterants and the health hazards associated with
them. However information alone is insufficient and here, the Consumer Protection Act of 1986
can be used when needed to warn and check irrational use of agro-chemicals by Food
Processing manufacturers. Finding ways of using every possible way of protecting public health
and resisting exploitation of public health has to go on side by side with consumer action. The
need for coordinated Consumer Action and Health Action is becoming more and more urgent
for dealing appropriately with the problems of prevention of food adulteration. In the future
Consumer Groups have to give high priority to the interface between health, education and
consumer awareness activities in view of increasing consumerism.
The consumers have a “RIGHT TO KNOW” and must use their “RIGHT TO SAY NO” not
merely for health reasons but because of conscious choice of living sustainable lifestyles.
Mr. Alok Mukhopadhyay
Executive Director
Dr. Mira Shiva MD
Head, Public Policy Division
Introduction
Food is one of the basic necessities for ensuring health of a population. While there has been
an increase in food production in the country over the last few decades, much remains desired
in terms of its distribution across different segments of society. Additionally the sharp rise in
prices of essential commodities like of cereals, pulses and oils covered in the last few months
has resulted in a sneeze on the purchasing power of the people. Apart from the question of
availability of food, the issue of food safety has also come to the fore. A number of consumer
groups have pointed out that essential commodities are adulterated with either substances of
inferior quality, excess amounts of chemical additives or have pesticide residues which produce
toxic effects and are therefore detrimental to the health of the people.
A food particle is said to be adulterated if its quality is lowered or adversely affected by the
presence of ingredients which are injurious to health or by removal of nutritious components of
the food. In India many crude methods of adulteration still prevail. So it is no surprise when one
finds the milk vendor sureptitiously adding water of dubious quality to milk. Tea & sugar have
been known to be adulterated with iron filings, and of course fine sand, grit, starch, chalk
powder and stones are a welcome standby.
Inspite of sophistication and all-round improvement in production, processing and
packaging, more poisons seem to entering our food chain now than ever before. There are
thousands of food additives such as flavouring, colouring agents, preservatives, emulsifiers and
sweeteners present in the processed food which are marketed today. The man made chemicals
add nothing to the nutritive value of the food but deteriorate our health. The increased
incidence of diseases like cancer only seems to underline the basic truth that if we add
hormones to animal feed, give antibiotics to keep them healthy and quick maturity, if we keep
on adding pesticides to our crops and fertilizer to the suffering soil then definitely our health
could be seriously jeopardized.
The ill effects of these chemical additives can range from a minor gastro-intenstinal
disturbance to cancer, damage to organs such as kidney and liver and various other disorders.
It has been proved now that food additives can lead to serious behavioural problems in
children, possible rebeliousness, anti-social behaviours and even deliquency. (Jacob
Thankamma, Poison in our food).
There is no such thing as a safe dose - even a small amount of a carcinogen, for example,
can initiate malignancy. In fact, small regular doses may be more dangerous than just one
large dose, not large enough to kill of course. It is to be emphasised therefore that once
contaminants enter food, the consuequences could be grave because they will inevitably end
up in our tissues and be harmful to our internal organs.
It must also be noted with concern that many of the chemicals and food adulterants being
consumed today are new, neither their existence nor their health hazards is known to majority
of the health professionals. In absence of this the consumers themselves remain unaware.
The increasing trend towards more and more food processing at distant places and a trend
towards making quick money with many more actors involved in the production, processing and
distributions of food—there is little accountability as there is little awareness. Safe and
adequate food is essential for good health and food adulteration is not merely unethical but a
crime.
5
The main areas in need of improvement include implementation of food quality control
measures in terms of both manpower and resources. Programming and planning of food quality
control at central and state levels call for a coherent and coordinated system of agencies to
initiate and implement a concerted plan of action. This is lacking in our country today.
The lack of consumer awareness today about food and food-related matters point to an
immediate vital need to inform and educate the public in vital areas of nutrition, safety, health
and existing commercial practices. Needless to say, government, trade, industry and NGOs
must join hands to and approach the problems earnestly in order to arrive at long-term solution.
In this booklet we propose to look at the common adulterants in variety of food stuff and
their effect on health, simple tests to'detect these adulterants, action initiated by some groups
to check adulteration of food and the legal provisions to prevent food adulteration.
In the following section we present some salient features of the Prevention of Food
Adulteration Act, 1954 which provides the legal framework for checking as well as initiating
action against persons who manufacture and deal with adulterated foods.
SALIENT FEATURES OF FOOD ADULTERATION ACT, 1954
(Act 37 of 1954)
(i)
(ia)
“adulterant” means any material which is or could be employed for the purpose of
adulteration.
"adulterated" - an article of food shall be deemed to be adulterated:
(a) if the article sold by a vendor is not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by
the purchaser and is to his prejudice, or is not of the nature, substance or quality
which it purports or is represented to be;
(b) if the article contains any other substance which affects, or if the article is so
processed as to affect injuriously the nature, substance or quality thereof;
(c) if any inferior or cheaper substance has been substituted wholly or in part for the
article, so as to affect injuriously the nature, substance or quality thereof;
(d) if any constituent of the article has been wholly or in part abstracted so as to affect
injuriously the nature, substance or quality thereof;
(e) if the article has been prepared, packed or kept under insanitary conditions whereby
it has become contaminated or injurious to health;
(f)
if the article consists wholly or in part of any filthy, putrid, rotten, decomposed or
diseased animal or vegetable substance or is insect infested or is otherwise unfit for
human consumption;
(g) if the article is obtained from a diseased animal;
(h) if the article contains any poisonous or other ingredient which renders it injurious to
health;
(i)
if the container of the article is composed, whether wholly or in part, of any
poisonous or deleterious substance which renders its contents injurious to health;
(j)
if any colouring matter other than that prescribed in respect thereof is present in the
article, or if the amounts of the prescribed colouring matter which is present in the
article are not within the prescribed limits of variability;
(k) if the article contains any prohibited preservative or permitted preservative in excess
of the prescribed limits;
(I)
if the quality or purity of the article falls below the prescribed standard or its
constituents are present in quantities not within the prescribed limits of variability,
which renders it injurious to health;
6
if the quality or purity of the article fails below the prescribed standard or its
constituents are present in quantities not within the prescribed limits of variability but
which does not render it injurious to health;
(ix) “misbranded" - an article of food shall be deemed to be misbranded:
(a) if it is an imitation of, or is a substitute for, or resembles in a manner likely to
deceive, another article of food under the name of which it is sold, and is not plainly
and conspicuously labelled so as to indicate its true character;
(b) if it is falsely stated to be the product of any place or country;
(c) if it is sold by a name which belongs to another article of food;
(d) if it is so coloured, flavoured or coated, powdered or polished that the fact that the
article is damaged is concealed or if the article is made to appear better or of
greater value than it really is;
(e) if false claims are made for it upon the label or otherwise;
(f)
if when sold in packages which have been sealed or prepared by or at the instance
of the manufacturer or producer and which bear his name and address, the contents
of each package are not conspicuously and correctly stated on the outside thereof
within the limits of variability prescribed under this Act;
(g) if the package containing it, or the label on the package bears any statement, design
or device regarding the ingredients or the substances contained therein, which is
false or misleading in any material particular; or if the package is otherwise
deceptive with respect to its contents;
(h) if the package containing it or the label on the package bears the name of a fictitious
individual or company as the manufacturer or producer of the article;
(i)
if it purports to be, or is represented as being, for special dietary uses, unless its
label bears such information as may be prescribed concerning its vitamin, mineral, or
other dietary properties in order sufficiently to inform its purchaser as to its value for
such uses;
(j)
if it contains any artificial flavouring, artificial colouring or chemical preservative,
without a declaratory lable stating the fact, or in contravention of the requirements of
this Act of rules made thereunder;
(k) if it is not labelled in accordance with the requirements of this Act or Rules made
thereunder;
(x) “package” - means a box,-bottle, casket, tin, barrel, case, receptacle, sack, bag, wrapper,
or other thing in which an article of food is placed or packed;
(xi) “premises" - include any shop, stall; or place where any article of food is sold or
manufactured or stored for sale;
(xii) “prescribed" - means by rules made under this Act;
(xiia) “primary food" - means any article of food, being a produce of-agriculture or horticulture in
its natural form;
(xiii) “sale" with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means the sale of any
article of food, whether for cash or on credit or by way of exchange and whether by
wholesale or retail, for human consumption or use, or for analysis, and includes an
agreement for sale, an offer for sale, the exposing for sale or having in possession for
sale of any such article, and includes also an attempt to sell any such article;
(xiv) “sample" - means a sample of any article of food taken under the provisions of this Act or
of any rules made thereunder;
(xv) the words “unwholesome” and “noxious" when used in relation to an article of food mean
respectively that the article is harmful to health or repugnant to human use.
(m)
7
ANALYSIS OF FOOD
8.
Public Analysis:- The Central Government or the State Government may, by notification
in the official Gazette, appoint such persons as it thinks fit, having the prescribed
qualifications to be public analysts for such local areas as may be assigned to them by
the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be;
Provided that no person who has any financial interest in manufacture, import or sale of
any article of food shall be appointed to be a public analyst under this section.
Provided further that different public analysts may be appointed for different articles of
food.
9.
Food Inspectors:- (1) The Central Government or the State Government may, by
notification in the official Gazette, appoint such persons as it thinks fit, having the
prescribed qualifications to be food inspectors for such local areas as may be assigned to
them by the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be :
Provided that no person who has any financial interest in the manufacture, import or sale
of any article of food shall be appointed to be a food inspector under this section.
(2) Every food inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of
section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) and shall be officially subordinate
to such authority as the Government appointing him, may specify in this behalf.
10.
Power of Food Inspectors:- (1) A food inspector shall have power:
(a) to take samples of any article of food from:
(i)
any person selling such article;
(ii) any person who is in the course of conveying, delivering or preparing to deliver
article to a purchaser or consignee;
(iii) a consignee after delivery of any such article to him; and
(b) to send such sample for analysis to the public analyst for the local area within which
such sample has been taken;
(c) with the previous approval of the Local (Health) Authority having jurisdiction in the
local area concerned, or with the previous approval of the Food (Health) Authority, to
prohibit the sale of any article of food in the interest of public health.
(Explanation:- For the purposes of sub-clause (iii) of clause (a), “consignee" does not
include a person who purchases or receives any article of food for his own
consumption).
Any food inspector may enter and inspect any place where any article of food is
manufactured, or stored for sale, or stored for the manufacture of any other article of food
for sale, or exposed or exhibited for sale or where any adulterant is manufactured or kept,
and take samples of such article of food or adulterant for analysis;
Provided that no sample of any article of food, being primary food, shall be taken under
this sub-section if it is not intended for sale as such food.
Where any sample is taken under clause(a) of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), its cost
calculated at the rate at which the article is usually sold to the public shall be paid to the
person from whom it is taken.
If any article intended for food appears to any food inspector to be adulterated or
misbranded, he may seize and carry away or keep in the safe custody of the vendor such
article in order that it may be dealt with as hereinafter provided, (and he shall, in either
(2)
(3)
(4)
8
case, take sample of such article and submit the same for analysis to a public analyst).
(Provided that where the food inspector keeps such article in the safe custody of the
vendor he may require the vendor to execute a bond for a sum of money equal to the
value of such article with one or more sureties as the inspector deems fit and the vendor
shall execute the bond accordingly).
(4A) Where any article of food seized under sub-section (4) is of a perishable nature and the
Local (Health) Authority is satisfied that such article of food is so deteriorated that it is
unfit for human consumption, the said Authority may, after giving notice in writing to the
vendor, cause the same to be destroyed.
(5) The power conferred by this section includes power to break open any package in which
any article of food may be contained or to break open the door of any premises where
any article of food may be kept for sale;
(Provided that the power to break open the package or door shall be exercised only after
the owner or any other person in charge of the package or, as the case may be, in
occupation of the premises, if he is present therein, refuses to open the package or door
on being called upon to do so, and in either case after recording the reasons for doing
so).
Provided further that the food inspector shall, in exercising the powers of entry upon, and
inspection of any place under this section follow, as far as may be, the provisions of the
[Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973] (2 of 1974) relating to the search or inspection of a
place by a police officer executing a search warrant issued under that Code).
(6) (Any adulterant found in the possession of a manufacturer or distributor of, or dealer in,
any article of food or in any of the premises occupied by him as such) and for the
possession of which he is unable to account to the satisfaction of the food inspector, (and
any books of account or other documents found in his possession or control and which
would be useful for, or relevant to, any investigation or proceeding under this Act, may be
seized by the food inspector) and (a sample of such adulterant) submitted for analysis to
a public analyst:
(Provided that no such books of account or other documents shall be seized by the food
inspector except with the previous approval of the authority to which he is officially
subordinate).
(7) Where the food inspector takes any action under clause (a) of sub-section (1), sub-section
(2), sub-section (4), or sub-section (6), he shall (call one or more persons to be present at
the time when such action is taken and take his or their signatures).
(7A) Where any books of account or other documents are seized under sub-section (6), the
food inspector shall, within a period not exceeding thirty days from the date of seizure,
return the same to the person from whom they were seized after copies thereof or
extracts therefrom as certified by that person in such manner as may be prescribed have
been taken).
Provided that where such person refuses to certify, and a prosecution has been instituted
against him under this Act, such books of account or other documents shall be returned to
him only after copies thereof or extracts therefrom as certified by the court have been
taken.
(7B) When any adulterant is seized under sub-section (6) the burden of providing that such
adulterant is not meant for purposes of adulteration shall be on the person from whose
possession such adulterant was seized).
(8) Any food inspector may exercise the powers of a police officer [under section 42 of the
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973] (2 of 1974) for the purpose of ascertaining the true
9
name and residence of the person from whom a sample is taken or an article of food is
seized.
(9) Any food inspector exercising power under this Act or under the rules made thereunder
who:
(a) vexatiously and without any reasonable grounds of suspicion seizes any article of
food (or adulterant); or
(b) commits any other act to the injury of any person without having reason to believe
that such act is necessary for the execution of his duty;
shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be punishable for such offence
(with fine which shall not be less than five hundred rupees but which may extend to
one thousand rupees)
The following table gives us an idea of the working of the Prevention of Food
Adulteration, 1954 (Table I). It is interesting to note that from 1981-90, there has actually been
a decline in the number of prosecutions. The number of convictions of registered cases has
also registered a decline between 1981-90. At the same time, the number of cases pending in
the court has increased during this period. Senior officials who are incharge of implementing
the PFA often cite the cumbersome and prolonged legal procedure as an important drawback
in the implementation of this Act.
TABLE I - WORKING OF THE PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION
ACT 1954, IN INDIA, 1981-1990
Year
No. of
Samples
examined
No.- of
Samples
found
adultera
ted
Percentage
of
adulteration
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1981
1,33,242
19,050
14.2
15,801
4,588
4,326
28,364
1982
1,29,595
16,765
12.9
15,006
3,617
5,483
36,781
1983
1,29,062
17,965
13.9
15,581
5,294
4,818
40,715
1984
1,22,296
14,990
12.2
13,334
4,530
4,577
43,761
1985
1,28,511
14,677
11.4
11,783
4,702
3,947
44,610
1986
1,21,969
13,730
11.2
10,445
3,864
3,391
44,389
1987
1,31,391
14,091
10.7
9,597
3,347
5,016
47,637
1988
1,30,390
15,365
11.78
9,599
2,576
3,251
50,931
1989
1,22,599
11,549
9.42
8,197
1,990
2,743
53,595
1990
1,18,580
11,124
9.38
7,970
2,464
2,316
54,700
No. of
prosecutions
launched
No. of
No. of
Convictions cases
acquitted
discharged
Note : Information is based on the available reports from the States/Union Territories.
Source : Prevention of Food Adulteration Cell, Ministry of Health, New Delhi, 1992.
10
No. of
cases pending
in the Courts
of Law
COMMONS ADULTERANTS AND HOW CAN THEY BE DETECTED
What are the means by which foods can be adulterated?
Foods can be adulterated by the addition of certain substances which can be injurious to
health. These substances can be through the addition of sand or chalkpowderto sugar or gur;
excess use of chemical as additives and preservatives, dyes as colouring agents, residue of
pesticides in cereals, fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.
In order to approach the issue of food adulteration, all of us require certain basic
information on what are the commonly adulterated foods, what are the adulterants, what are
the simple tests to check these adulterants and the legal measures available to check traders
from adulterating foods.
The following table gives us an idea of the common adulterants in spices, milk products,
oils and cereals (Table II).
TABLE II
COMMON ADULTERANTS IN FOOD PRODUCTS
Food Product
Common Adulterants
01. Zeera
02. Shah Zeera
03. Pepper
04. Hing
05. Haldi
06. Gur
07. Coffee powder
08. Tea leaves
09. Coriander
10. Milk Products
Foreign seeds in Cumin seeds.
Stalky and woody matter.
Dried seeds of Papaya.
Sand, chalk, foreign resins.
Excessive lead or lead chromate and coaltar dyes.
Sand and dirt.
Waste products, date, tamrind husk, black gram husk.
Foreign leaves, excessive woody stalks.
Sand, saw dust, starchy matter.
Excessive moisture, deficiency of milk-fat, admixture
with animal body fat, vanaspati etc. addition of
preservatives, coaltar colours and foreign vegetable
colours. Absence of annatto colour in table butter.
Rancid stuff, cheaper oils, added oil soluble dyes,
mineral oils (castor oils).
Excess sand and dirt, excess bran, admixture with
foreign starch, soapstone, powdered chalk, etc.
Besides, sale of insect-infested and deteriorated stuff is
common.
Excess sand and dirty, coaltar dyes.
Excessive hydrogenation and higher melting point
products, Rancid stuff, animal body fat, Sesame oil
deficiency, foreign flavour particularly the flavour of
ghee, added colours.
Foreign seeds particularly argemone seeds which are
toxic. Deteriorated and insect-infested seeds.
11. Edible Oils
12. Atta-Maida
13. Besan
14. Vanaspati
15. Mustard Seeds
The following table gives us an idea of the principal poison in foods and their health effects
(Table III)
TABLE III
PRINCIPAL POISONS IN FOOD AND THEIR HEALTH EFFECTS
Poisons
International Adulteration
Argemone seeds
Argemone oil
Mineral oil (white oil,
petroleum fractions).
Orthotricresyl phosphate
Lathyrus sativus
Lead chromate
Methanol
Metallic contamination
Arsenic
Barium
Cadmium
Cobalt
Copper
Lead
Mercury
Tin
Zinc
Foods Commonly Involved
Disease or Health Effects
Mustard seeds
Edible oils and fats
Edible oils and fats, black pepper
Epidemic dropsy.
Glucoma, cardiac arrest.
Cancer.
Edible oils and fats
Khesari dal alone or mixed in other
pulses.
Turmeric whole and powdered, mixed
spices
Alcoholic liquors
Flaccid paralysis.
Lathyrism (Crippling spastic
paraplegia).
Anaemia, abortion, paralysis, brain
damage.
Blurred vision, blindness, death.
Fruits such as apples sprayed over
with lead arsenate (pesticide).
Foods contaminated by rat
poison (barium carbonate).
Dizziness, chills, cramps,
paralysis, death.
Violent peristalisis, arterial
hypertension, muscular twitching,
convulsions, cardiac disturbances.
‘Itai-itai (ouch-ouch) disease
increased salivation, acute
gastritis, liver and kidney damage,
prostate cancer.
Cardiac insufficiency and
myocardial failure.
Vomiting, diarrhoea, astringent taste
in mouth, abdominal pain.
Lead poisoning (foot-drop, insomnia,
anaemia, constipation, mental retar
dation, brain damage).
Brain damage, paralysis, death.
Fruit juices, soft drinks, etc. in
contact with cadmium-plated
vessels, or equipment; cadmiumcontaminated water and shell- fish.
Water, alcoholic liquors
Acid foods in contact with tarnished
copperware.
Water, some nature as well as
processed foods.
Mercury fungicide-treated seed
grains or mercury-contaminated fish.
Canned foods
Foods, especially acid foods
stored or cooked in galvanised
ironware.
Colic, vomiting, diarrhoea, chest
congestion, metallic taste in mouth,
headache, retention of urine, photo
phobia.
Dizziness, vomiting, diarrhoea.
Biological Contamination
(a) Bacterial
Cereal products, custards, puddings,
Food infection (nausea, vomiting,
Bacillus cereus
abdominal pain, diarrhoea).
sauces.
Botulism (double vision, muscular
Defectively canned low or medium
Clostridium botulinum
acid foods, meats, sausages, smoked paralysis, death due to respiratory
toxins A, B, E or F.
failure).
vacuum-packed fish, fermented food.
Milk, improperly processed or canned Nausea, abdominal pains, diarrhoea,
C.pertringers (welchii)
gas formation.
meats, fish and gravy stocks.
type A
Salmonellosis (food infection usually
Meat and meat products, raw
Salmonella
with fever and chills). Acute inflation
vegetables, salads, shell-fish eggs
and egg products, warmed up leftovers. of digestion tract.
12
Shigella sonnei
Staphylococcus aureus
Botulism
Streptococcus pyogenes
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
(b) Fungal :
Aflatoxins
Ergot alkaloids from
Claviceps purpurea: toxic
alkaloids-ergotamine,
ergotoxin and ergometrine
groups.
Milk, potato, beans, poultry, tuna,
shrimp, moist mixed foods.
Dairy products, baked foods
especially custard or cream-filled
foods, meat and meat products, lowacid frozen foods, cream sauces, etc.
Improperly canned foods mushrooms
spinach, figs, fermented foods.
Milk, eggs and their products
Raw or semi-cooked sea-fish or
sea water
Aspergillus flavus-contaminated foods
such as groundnuts, cottonseed, etc.
Ergot-infested bajra, rye meal or
bread, wheat.
Shigellosis (bacillary dysentery).
Increased salivation, Nausea,
vomiting, abdominal cramp,
diarrhoea, severe thirst, cold sweats
prostration.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of
reflex to light, dry mouth, weakness,
constipation, respiratory paralysis.
Scarlet fever, septic sore throat.
Gastro-intestinal disturbances with
stomach pain and fever.
Liver damage and cancer.
Ergotism (St. Athon/s fire-burning
sensation in extremities, itching of
skin, peripheral gangrene or gastro
intestinal disturbances).
Toxins from Fusarium
sporotrichiodes.
Grains like millet, wheat, oats, rye, etc. Alimetary toxic aleukia (ATA)
Toxins from Fusarium
sporotrichiella.
Toxins from Fusarium
graminearum (roseum).
Toxins from Penicillium
islandicum, P.atrinum,
P.citreovirede, Fusarium,
Rhizopus, Aspergillus.
Sterigmatocystin from
Aspergillus versicolour,
Aspergillus nidulans and
bipolaris.
(c) Parasitic
Trichinella spiralis
Moist grains
Ascaris lumbricoides
Entamoeba histolytica
(d) Viral
Virus of infectious
hepatitis (Virus A).
Machupo virus
Natural and Adventitious
contamination
Fluoride
Grain, bread
Epidemic panmyelotoxicosis.
Urov disease (kaschin-Beck
disease).
‘Drunken bread’ poisoning.
Yellow rice
Toxic mouldy rice disease.
Food grains
Hepatitis.
Raw pork or pork products
Trichinosis (nausea, vomiting,
diarrhoea, sweating, colic and later
muscular pains).
Ascariasis.
Any raw food or water contaminated
by human faeces containing eggs
of the parasite.
Raw vegetables, and fruits
Shell-fish, milk, unheated foods
contaminated with faeces, urine and
blood of infected humans.
Food contaminated with rodents’
urine, such as cereals.
Drinking water, sea food, tea, etc.
13
Amoebic dysentery.
Infectious hepatitis.
Bolivian haemorrhagic fever.
Excess fluoride causes fluorosis:
mottling of teeth, skeletal and
neurological disorders.
Oxalic acid
Spinach, amaranth, chenopod, etc.
Gossypol
Gyanogenic compounds
Cottonseed flour and cake
Bitter almonds, apple seeds, cassava,
some beans, etc.
Contaminated shell-fish (mussel, clam) Paralysis of muscles of extremities,
in severe cases paralysis of respira
tory muscles and death.
Smoked fish, meat, mineral oilCancer.
contaminated water, oils, fats and
fish, especially shell-fish.
Fatly foods contaminated with PCBs
Severe acne, eye discharge, skin
from packaging or processing.
darkening, liver damage,
reproductive abnormalities.
Toxic mushrooms
Mushroom poisoning (hypoglycemia,
convulsions, profuse watery stool,
severe necrosis of liver leading to
hepatic failure and death).
Potatoes
Solanine poisoning (vomiting,
abdominal pain, diarrhoea).
Drinking water, spinach, rhubarb,
Methaemoglobinemia, especially in
asparagus, etc. and meat products.
infants; cancer, and tumours of the
liver, kidney, trachea, oesophagus
and lungs. The liver is the initial site
but afterwards tumours appear in
other organs.
Polished rice, pulses, processed
Absorption in particulate form by the
foods containing anti-caking
body may produce cancer.
agents, etc.
Water and foodstuffs containing
Cancer.
nitrates or nitrites (meat, fish and
their products).
Proces'sed foods
Cancer or mutagenesis or teratogenesis.
All types of food
Acute or chronic poisoning with
damage to nerves, and vital organs
like lever, kidney, etc. Heavy dose
may lead to cancer.
Used in medicine and cosmetics, may Teratogenesis (when given to
contaminate food, especially meats of pregnant women, causes high
stilbestrol-fed animals.
incidence of vaginal adeno carci
nomas in their daughters),
carcinogenesis.
Meats from antibiotic-fed animals
Multiple drug resistance, hardening
of arteries, heart diseases.
Paralytic shell-fish
poison (Saxitoxin).
Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH)
Polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs). ■
Phalloidine (alkaloid)
Solanine
Nitrates and nitrites
Asbestos
Nitroso dimethylamine
(Nitrosamine)
Toxic food additives
(in general).
Pesticide residues
Diethyl stilbestrol
Antibiotics
Renal calculi, cramps, failure of
blood to clot.
Cancer.
Gastro-intestinal disturbances.
Sources. Jacob, Thankamma, ‘Food Adulteration’ 1976; Bryan,. 1971; Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee
on Zoonoses, 1967; Riemann, 1969; Sedlack and Rische, 1961; WHO Expert Committee on the
Microbiological Aspects of Food Hygiene, 1968; Wogan, 1964; WHO, Health Hazards of the Human
Environment.
14
Table IV gives us an idea of the additives that need to be used with care, what type
of foods they are commonly used in and what are the adverse effects of these additives.
TABLE IV
ADDITIVES TO BE USED WITH CARE
Additive
Coaltar dyes
Butylated hydroxy
toluene (BHT)
Butylated hydroxy
anisole
Caffeine
Use
Remarks
To colour foods like vegetable and
fruit products, soft drinks, candy,
desserts, pastry, sausage, baked
food, ice creams, hot dogs,
hamburgers, sweetmeats, snacks,
confectionery, alcoholic and other
beverages.
Antioxidant in cereals, chewing gum,
potato chips, edible oils, etc.
May cause allergic and other
adverse reactions in people, includ
ing cancer and pathological lesions
in vital organs.
Stimulant, added to soft drinks
Saccharin
Noncalorie sweetener, used in diet
products also as an adulterant.
Sodium nitrite and
nitrate
Preservative and colouring for bacon,
ham, meat, smoked fish, corned beef.
Artificial flavourings
Soft drinks, candy, breakfast cereals,
baked foods, vegetable and fruit
products, icecream, custards,
desserts, alcoholic beverages.
Flavour enhancer, used in soup,
poultry, meat preparations, sauces,
stews and cheese.
Monosodium glutamate
Sulphur dioxide and
bisulphites.
Phosphoric acid,
phosphates
Anti-caking agents (talc,
kaolin).
Preservative and bleach, used in
sliced fruits, wine, grape juice, dried
potatoes, dried fruit, vegetable and
fruit products etc.
Acidifier, chelating agent, buffer,
emulsifier, nutrient, discolouration
inhibitor used in baked goods, cheese,
curd, meat, soft drinks, dried potatoes.
to make dry powdry foods free-flowing
and as dusting agents for rice, confe
ctionery, chewing gum.
15
May cause cancer; stored in body
fat; can cause allergic reactions.
Appears to be safer than BHT but
needs more testing.
Causes insomnia and other adverse
effects at high levels. Not recomme
nded for children and pregnant
mothers.
Causes bladder cancer in animals.
Not recommended for normal people
(not suffering from diabetes, obesity)
Prevents growth of bacteria (Gl.
botulinum) but can cause formation
of small amounts of cancer
producing nitrosamines.
May cause hyperactivity in some
children; not adequately tested for
safety.
Damages brain cells in infant mice,
so not recommended for children,
can cause headache, tightness in
head, neck and arms in sensitive
adults (Chinese Restaurant
Syndrome).
Can destroy Vitamin B1, but other
wise safe at prescribed levels.
Useful but widespread use creates
dietary imbalances that may cause
bone thinning (osteoporosis).
May be absorbed and deposited in
vital organs: if asbestos is present,
can cause cancer.
USE OF FOOD COLOURS
Colouring of foods is common in sweets, ice creams and even spices like haldi. As a consumer
it is important to be aware that there are certain dyes which have been banned because they
are carcinogenic. Table V gives us details regarding the prohibited dyes and their possible
health hazards.
TABLE V - HEALTH HAZARDS OF PROHIBITED DYES
Possible Health Hazards
Name of Dye
(a) Orange II
(b) Auramine
(c) Rhodamine B
(d) Blue VRS
(e) Malachite Green
(f) Sudan III
(g) Citrus Red II
(h) Congo Red
(i) Metanil yellow
(j) Lead chromate
Pathological lesions in vital organs like kidney,
spleen and/or liver; (a) to (d) are carcinogenic;
(e) causes increasing in the incidence of
tumours of lung, breast, ovary and liver and
teratogenic abnormalities of eyes, bone skin
and lungs.
Marked increase in morbidity, mortality and unceptibility
to subcutaneous infections culminating in malignant
growths.
Lesions in the brain and/or kidney, glaucoma.
Degeneration of reproductive organs, sterility, stomach
trouble, cancer.
Anaemia, paralysis, brain damage, especially in children.
Apart from dyes, there are also certain additives that are prohibited in foods. The following
table (Table VI) gives us details regarding the prohibited additives.
TABLE VI
ADDITIVES PROHIBITED IN FOODS
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
Calamus and its derivatives
Cobalt salts and their derivatives
Coumarin and Dihydrocoumarin
Cyclamate and its derivatives
Dithylpyrocarbonate (DEPC)
Dulcin
Monochloroacetic acid
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA)
Safrole
Thiourea
Chlorofluoro carbon propellants
Colourants:
Red FB
Red 6B
Acid Magenta II
Blue VRS
Brilliant Black_______________________________________________
Source: Code of US Federal Regulations (1979): PFS Rules (India)
16
As mentioned earlier, there are some industrial contaminants of foods. Table VII provides
us information regarding the major contaminants, the foods in which such contaminants are
found, the long term health effects it has and the maximum permissible limits in food.
TABLE VII - MAJOR INDUSTRIAL CONTAMINANTS OF FOOD
Contaminants
Food involved
Health Effects
2. Mercury
3. Cadmium
4. Lead
5. Arsenic
Max.permissible limits
Eye discharges, eye inflam
1.5 ppm in milk
mation, severe, acne,
and dairy products
darkening of skin, hair loss,
(fat basis) 3 ppm in
reproductive problems, liver
poultry (fat basis).
tumours, liver damage, may
cause cancer, make sterility,
0.3 ppm in eggs
hyperkinensis, learning problems , 5 ppm in fish
and other abnormalities in
children when mothers are
2 ppm in infant/baby
exposed to PCBs.
foods.
0.5 ppm-1.0 ppm for
Fresh water fish from pollu Acute: Severe abdominal
fish. Total mercury
ted waters (not salt water paints with nausea, vomitfish), seeds treated with
ting, diarrhoea accompanied
in food consumed
0.005 mg/kg body
mercury fungicides, plants, in some cases by severe
damage to kidneys and
foodstuffs grown close to
weight per week or
polluted waters, milk from liver. Cumulative: Damage
0.0033 mg/kg of
cattle grazing on contami to brain and the central
methyl mercury per
nated plants.
nervous system, manifested
week.
as mental and emotional
disturbances loss of concen
tration, memory, general weak
ness, tremors in the extremities
of limbs, loss of vision, hearing,
paralysis, insanity.
Shell fish, aquatic plants
Kidney stones, increased
0.01 mg/litre of
and animals, liver and
urinary excretion of calcium
drinking water, 0.4-0.5
kidneys of mammals, food and aminoacids (from proteins) mg per week per adult
stuffs from soil where
kidney damage, osteomalacia,
or 0.0067 to 0.0083
sewage sludge and indus multiple fractures.
mg/kg body weight per
trial wastes are dumped or
week in the total diet.
treated with phosphate
fertilisers, processed food,
cigarettes (1 cigarette may
have 2 micrograms of
cadmium 10 percent of
which may be inhaled as
smoke).
Water, liver and kidney of Nausea, insomnia, consti
3 mg per adult or
animals, agricultural
pation, fatigue, abdominal
0.5 mg/kg body
produce from orchards
pain, anaemia, abortions,
weight per week (not
treated with lead arsenate stillbirths, neonatal deaths,
applicable to infants
or from places close to
irreversible changes in the
and children) 0.05
roads with heavy traffic,
kidneys and brain, paralysis,
mg/litre for drinking
canned food, especially
convulsions, mental dis
water.
acidic food, canned milk
orders and permanent
and milk products and
retardation in children.
infant foods.
Fruits, vegetables, proce
Highly poisonous
can cause brain
ssed foods, etc.
damage & even death.
1. Polychlorinated Fish, milk including human
Biphenyls(PCBs) milk poultry, eggs, meat,
processed and packaged
food.
.17
Apart from industrial contaminants, there are also a variety of contaminants which are of
bacterial, fungal and natural plant origin. Both bacterial as well as fungal contaminants are a
major cause of food poisoning which results in severe vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and can
in some cases even lead to death. Bacterial and fungal contaminations occurs in improperly
processed foods, specially ready to eat foods. Several cases of food poisoning have been
reported from some parts of the country due to adulteration of oils as well as in the case of
school children getting poor quality mid day meal snacks as well as milk. Table VIII shows
some reported cases of food poisoning from different cities of our country.
TABLE VIII—FEW REPORTED CASES OF FOOD POISONING—1990-93
Place
Nature of Problem
Age Group & Numbers
Date
Basti, U.P.
Pesticide in foodstuff
17 April, ‘90
Bombay
Delhi
Bombay
Midnapore
Bread
Soyabean milk
Bread supplied by
Modern Food Industries
to school
Pesticide in the foodstuff
More than 150 people died
and over 200 people fell ill.
70 children
Over 200 children
150 primary school
children.
Bihar
Adulterated Mustard oil
Chandigarh
Bakeman’s Biscuits a part
of the mid-day meal under
food & nutrition programme.
Rice, Dal, Chapati and
and Shimla Mirch-Potato
mixed vegetable.
Kulfi-faluda
Adulterated Mustard Oil
New Delhi
New Delhi
Chamu Town
Near Jaipur
Hyderabad
Guwahati
New Delhi
Kochi
Putrid Biscuits
Prasad
Vitasoy food and
Meghray Biscuits
Marriage feast
8 persons died
and 200 others fell ill.
2 adults killed
100 persons hospitalised.
450 Students were
hospitalised.
(10-very serious).
32 children
Jan.-Feb. *91
5 March, ‘91
11 March, ‘91
25 Sept. ‘91
Oct. ‘91
10 Nov. ‘91
8 May ‘92
12 people
278 persons
13 May ‘92
16 August ‘92
160 children
200 persons including
40 children.
49 primary
school children.
250 people
8 Sept. ‘92
10 Sept. '92
11 Sept. ‘92
15 Jan. ‘93
Source : Compiled from various news reports, 1990-93.
“As many as 10,301 people were affected by food poisoning in the country during the last one
year. According to an official document, Tamil Nadu tops the list with 3,153 cases of food
poisoning followed by Maharashtra with 2,866, Gujarat with 1,215 and Haryana with 1,109.” (Assam
Tribune, 6th August, 1991).
For every case of food poisoning that is reported, several cases go unreported. The
reported ten thousand cases of food poisoning during 1990 in the country would therefore be
an underestimate.
18
Simple Tests for Adulterants
Given the fairly widespread adulteration of foods and food products, there are simple tests for
common adulterants which can be undertaken both at home as well as by consumer groups.
Apart from these simple tests, there are low cost kits available. Table IX gives simple tests for
common adulterants.
TABLE IX - SIMPLE TESTS FOR COMMON ADULTERANTS IN FOOD
Foodstuff
Adulterant
1. Milk, curd, khoa,
ghee butter
Starch
2. Milk or curd
Cane Sugar
3. Butter
coaltar dye
4. Ghee or butter
Vanaspati
5. Edible Oils
Argemone oil
Mineral oil
Castor Oil
6. Aerated water
mineral acid other than
phosphoric acid
Test
Add a drop of tincture iodine in a little of the sample.
Blue colour shows added starch in any Form. (Iodine
solution may be prepared by dissolving 2.5 g of iodide
crystals and 3 g of potassium iodide in sufficient water
to make the volume 100 ml.
Add 0.1 g resorcin and 1 ml concentrated hydrochloric
acid to 10 ml of the sample and boil. A rose red colour
shows sugar.
Melt the butter in a test tube kept in a hot water bath
and continue heating until the fat and water layers
completely separate out. Decant of the butter fat from
the top into a clean dry test tube. In another test tube,
dissolve about 2 ml of clear fat in ether, add to, it 1 to 2
ml of 50% hydrochloric acid, shake and allow to settle.
Formation of a pink to wine red colour in the lower acid
shows coal tar dye.
Dissolve a pinch of cane sugar in 10 ml concentrate
hydrochloric acid taken in a glass-stoppered test tube.
Add 10 ml of the melted ghee, stopper the bottle and
shake vigorously for two minutes. Let stand till 2 layers
separate. If the lower layer turns pink or red, the ghee
contains vanaspati.
Shake up 5 ml of the filtered oil with 2 ml of
concentrated hydrochloric acid in a test tube and warm
with mixture for 5 minutes in a water bath with
occasional shaking. Decant off the oil from the top and
add to the remaining acid'layer 1 ml of 10% ferric
chloride solution, gently. Rotate the tube between the
palms of the hands to mix the solutions and heat in the
mixture in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, add 10
ml water. Any turbidity shows mineral oil.
Mix 2 ml oil with 2 ml of 3% alcoholic potassium
hydroxide, heat in boiling water bath for 15 minutes,
add 10 ml water. Any turbidity shows mineral oil.
Dissolve oil in petroleum ether in a test tube and cool
the test tube in ice-salt mixture. Turbidity within 5
minutes shows castor oil.
Soak a strip of filter paper in a dilute (0.1%) water
solution of metanil yellow and then dry. Dip one end of
the paper into the aerated water. The wetted portion
turns violet.
19
7. Coffee powder
8. Tea (dust/leaves)
9. Cane sugar
10. Gur (Jaggery)
11. Honey
12. Sweetmeats
Sweetmeats,
Ice cream,
sherbet etc.
13. Foodgrains and
nuts (e.g.ground
nuts)
14. Wheat, bajra and
other foodgrains
(b) Fine white sand, dirt, Stir one tea spoon of the sugar in a glass of clear
semolina(suji), chalk water. Only the sugar will dissolve, leaving a residue
powder
of the sand, dirt, semolina or chalk.
(a) Starch (toasted bread Make a decoction of the coffee, decolourise it by
crumbs, rye, wheat,
adding acidified potassium permanganate and then
peas etc.)
add a drop of iodine solution. Blue colour shows
starch.
(b) Roasted dates and
Shake powder with 2% sodium hydroxide (or washing
tamarind seeds
soda) solution. Formation of a reddish colour shows
tamarind seeds.
(a) Artificially coloured
Sprinkle the tea on a sheet of wet white paper. Pink
foreign matter or
or red spots appearing on the paper show added
exhausted tea leaves colour.
(b) Iron filings
Draw a magnet through tea. Iron filings will cling to the
magnet.
(a) Iron filings
Pass a magnet through the sugar. Iron filings will cling
to the magnet.
(b) Fine white sand,
Stir one tea spoon of the sugar into a glass of clear
dirt, semolina (suji),
water. Only the sugar will dissolve, leaving a residue
chalk powder
of the sand, dirt, semolina or chalk.
(a) Sand, dirt, chalk
Boil a portion with excess water, Gur will dissolve but
sand and dirt will not.
(b) Metanil Yellow
Dissolve a little gur in water. Filter and dilute the
(coal tar dye)
solution and then add a drop of concentrated
hydrochloric acid. A magenta red colour shows
the presence of metanil yellow.
(c) Washing Soda
Add some hydrochloric acid. Bubbling gas shows
washing soda.
Commercial invert
Fische’s Test: Mix about 5 g of the honey with 10 ml of
sugar (mixture of
ether in a mortar, using a pestle. Decant off the ether
glucose and fructose)
extract into a china dish. Repeat twice with more ether
and collect all the extract in the same dish. Allow the
ether to evaporate off at room temperature. To the
remaining residues in the dish, add a large drop of a
1% solution of freshly sublimed resorcinol in
concentrated hydrochloric acid. Immediate appearance
of a cherry red colour indicates commercial sugar.
Aluminium foil for
Treat the foil with a little warm dilute hydrochloric acid.
Bubbles of hydrogen gas will be evolved from the foil
decoration (instead
of silver)
(silver foil does not react)
Shake with warm water and add to separated water,
Metanil yellow
cone, hydrochloric acid. Red colour indicates the
presence of the forbidden dye.
The grains and nuts will appear discoloured and
Mould
shrunken and will usually have an off taste and float on
water.
Long irregular black grains show ergot. Treat with 20%
Ergot (a poisonous
salt solution. Ergot will float and sound grains will sink.
fungus).
Brown black seeds resembling chilli seeds which can
Datura seeds
be easily identified.
20
15. Foodgrains and
pulses (whole
and ground)
16. Wheat flour,
semolina (suji)
Bengal gram flour
(Besan)
Insect, larvae
Sand, grit
Iron filings
Chalk powder
Wheat flour
Resultant atta from
which maida, suji have
already been extracted
Kesari pulse (whole)
17. Whole black
masoor and Bengal
gram
18. Split and dehusked (a) Kesari dal
pulses
(b) Metanil Yellow
19. Common salt
Sand, dirt, chalk
20. Red chilli whole
Polished with red dye
21. Turmeric (whole
Metanil yellow
and powdered) and
Mixed spices
(powdered)
22. Powdered spices
Sand, grit, talc
(turmeric, chilli,
coriander, garam
masala, curry
powder, etc.)
Dyed tendrils of maize
23. Saffron
cob
Cassia bark (chini dal)
24. Cinnamon
(dalchini)
25. Cardamom, cloves Exhausted (already
extracted) spice
26. Mustard and
Rai seeds
Argemone seeds
27. Mustard, Rai,
Cumin seeds,
Khus-khus, etc.
Stones and foreign
matter
Visual examination. Excessive infestation results in
unpleasant odour and taste and the grains will float on
water.
To a little of the sample add 5 ml. of carbon tetra
chloride in a dry test tube and shake
well. Sand and grit will settle at the bottom, leaving
flour on top.
Pass a magnet through material. Iron will cling to
magnet.
Treat sample with hot hydrochloric acid. Bubbling of
gas shows carbon dioxide gas from chalk or other
carbonates.
More water needed to make dough-chapatis blow out
and are insipid.
Visual examination (wedge-like shape). Also gives
brown colour with hydrochloric acid in 15 to 30
minutes.
Visual examination (usually present in arhar dal and
Bengal gram).
Shake a portion with cold or warm water. The water
becomes yellowish and on treatment with hydrochloric
acid turns magenta red.
Stir a little of the sample with excess water; sand and
dirt will sink but the salt will dissolve- chalk will float
giving a whitish solution.
Soak some cotton in mineral oil (liquid paraffin) and
rub outside of the red chilly with the cotton. If the
cotton becomes red, the sample has added colour.
Shake up with some water. Dilute till it is almost
colourless and then add a few drops of cone.
hydrochloric acid. Magenta red colour shows artificial
colouring with metanil yellow.
Shake up a little of the sample with about 5 ml. carbon
tetrachloride in a dry test tube. Allow to settle. Sand,
talc and grit will sink to the bottom, leaving spice on
top.
Shake with water several times, pouring away the
water each time. Only pure saffron gives colour as
long as it lasts; also does not break easily like the
artificial.
Thick bark with less aroma than pure cinnamon (thin
bark) shows adulteration.
If dry, shrunken in appearance. If not dried well, soggy,
with fungus infestation. In either case, deficiency of
aromatic taste.
Small seeds resembling mustard but blacker, more
rough and not uniformly smooth and round. Can be
seen under a magnifying glass.
Visual examination.
Note : Adulteration detected as above needs to be confirmed by analysis in a recognised food testing
laboratory; the tests in no way replace the prescribed laboratory tests.
21
Some consumer groups across the country have taken up activities relating to food
adulteration. Questionnaires were sent to twenty five consumer organisations from different
parts of the country regarding the type of activities undertaken, the target group covered, type
of foods tested for adulteration, organisations for food testing, sources for food testing kits and
other relevant material for consumer education. The following table provides information on the
activities of select consumer groups relating to Food Adulteration (Table X).
TABLE X
ACTIVITIES OF SELECT CONSUMER GROUPS RELATING TO FOOD
ADULTERATION
Name of Organisation
Type of
Activities
Target
Group
Adulterated Organisations
Foods
for Food Testing
covered
1. Consumer
Testing, prevention
Education & Research of manufacture
Centre, Bhavrragar,
of food items.
Gujarat
Testing quality
of fast foods
Students Masalas 1 .Testing Kit,
Women Dais, Oils,
Laboratory,
Bread,
Baroda
Atta,
2. Food Testing
Vanaspati
Laboratory,
Bhuj
2. Consumer Resistance Check on sale
Group, Anand,
of old stocks
Gujarat
of food items
House
wives
N.A.
Consumer
Guidance Society,
Bombay.
2. Journal for Testing
Household items,
Lady Irwin College,
New Delhi.
Consumer Guidance
Pamphlets on Food
Society of Jamshedpur, Testing food
21, Circuit House Area, Adulterants (CGSJ),
East, Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur Local
3. Baroda City
Consumers Council,
Shram Sadhana,
Raopura, Gujarat
1. Action
Students Masalas,
against
House Dais, oil
wives
adulterated
food manufactures.
2. Registering cases
under PFA Act, 1954
in Baroda Court
Public Health
Laboratory
of state
government
4. Consumer
Action Group (CAG)
44, Venkatakrishna
Road, Mandavelli,
Madras
Action leading
Students Oil
to seizure of
House Dal
hazardous
Milk
wives
chemical compounds
which are being
used as sugar
substitutes
CAG has been
given authority
to inspect food
products with
AGMARK Label
within a specified
jurisdiction in
Madras city.
5. Visakha Consumers
Council (VCC)
D. No. 13-28-6/4
KGH, UP Road
Visakhapatnam
College Dais
Students Oil
& Women’s
Organisa
tions
22
Educational
Materials/Testing
Kits
-
Health Authority of
Baroda, Municipal
Corporation,
Khauderao
Market, Baroda.
Food Adulteration
Test kits from
Consumer Guidance
Society of India,
Flutment J.
Mahapalika Marg
Bombay.
6. The Citizens
Consumer Council
Achampet, Mohboobnagar
Andhra Pradesh
7. Gujarat State
Consumers
Protection Centre,
Ashok Nagar, Nadiad,
-387 001, Gujarat
Rural
persons
Dr Is
Oils
Oil, Milk,
Haldi
-
8. Consumer Education
Centre,
No. 4, Sesha Vilas,
3-6-293, First Floor,
Hyderguda
Hyderabad-500 029
1. Withdrawl
Women
of adulterated
in both
food item.
rural
2. Publishing
and
material on
urban
adulterated food,
areas
drugs, use of
insecticides.
3. Conducting
Surveys related
to food habits in
rural areas.
4. Have instituted
an Award for
the corporate
sector which
safeguards and
protects consumer
safety and hygiene.
Providing
General
Educational
Public/
Material
Consumer
to other
Groups
Consumer
Groups
NA
NA
9. Consumer Guidance
Society of India,
Hutment ‘J’,
Mahapalika Marg
Bombay-400 001
1, Providing
Educational
Material
2. Networking with
consumer groups
1. Women
2. Students
3. Low
Income
Ghee
Haldi
Tea
Sweets
10 . Consumer Unity &
Trust Society
3-B, Camac Street
Calcutta - 700016
1. Action against
adulterated food
manufacturers.
2. Withdrawl of
food items.
3. Litigation
Consumers
N.A.
Rural and Urban
school children
23
Consumer Awareness
and Research Society,
P.O. Box No. 3
Khairtabad,
Hyderabad.
Published a
Booklet on
‘How to detect
adulteration How to file a
complaint."
Food Safety
and the
consumers Special Report I
from Deptt. of Post
Graduate Studies
and Research,
SNDT women’s
university,
Juhu Road
Bombay-49.
1. Developed Home
Kit For Detecting
common Adulterants
2. Audio visual on
‘consumerawareness'
3. Safety at Home
4. Edible Oils
(consumer guide)
All about GATT
publications.
Who is responsible for ensuring food safety?
Private traders as well as industry also have a responsibility to ensure safe food standards.
‘Every person is obliged to respect the human rights to life and liberty, and those who are
in the business of food marketing have an even more serious responsibility to respect these
rights.
Merely relying on the government to check food adulteration is clearly inadequate.
What is needed is an active involvement of consumer organisations as well as other
organisations working in the field of health to network and create public pressure and
awareness on this issue.
Consumer and other Health Action Groups should address the following issues :
— The hygienic quality of food should be established by the wide use of statutory and
mandatory standards.
— The modification of food by the addition of non-nutritive substances should never be
allowed unless what has been done is clearly unequivocally declared.
— The wdrk of ensuring that permitted food additives have received adequate technological
clearance and been proved technologically necessary should be speeded up.
— Necessary Legal measures like the PFA, 1954 should be activated and the authorities
should maintain and in some areas increase their programmes of monitoring for the levels
of contaminants and additives in the diet of the population.
— A concerted effort should be made by all of us to find ways of describing foods so that
people really do know the true nature of what they are buying and we avoid over-detailed
compositional requirements for each and every food.
— All pre-packed food should be obligatory marked with a date-either expiry date or
production plus shelflife after while it is likely to have deteriorated either microbiologically or
in nutritional quality or in flavour.
— National codes of hygienic practice should be applied not only to production but also to
distribution within borders and for export and at the point of sale.
— Above all, there must be numerically adequate and sensible remunerated inspectorate,
backed up by analytical staff and equipment, to enforce the country's food laws effectively
and fearlessly.
— To make that amount of progress, it really shouldn’t take another country.
Annexure I gives some guidelines as prescribed by the Director General of Health Services
(Food Section) to Consumers to check adulterations.
24
ANNEXURE I
TIPS TO CONSUMERS
A.
B.
While Shopping
(1) Read table before purchase (a) Name, trade name or description of food;
(b) Names of ingredients used in the products;
(c) Name and address of the manufacturer/vendor/packer of food;
(d) Net weight, number of measure;
(e) Batch number of Code or Lot number;
(f) The date of manufacture/packing;
(g) If the product is infant food, see date by which it is to be consumed;
(h) If the product is claimed to be enriched with nutrients, see the quantities of minerals,
proteins of vitamins on the label;
(i) Synthetic product shall not depict picture of fruit. The word "Synthetic” shall appear in capital
letters. The word “Fruit” shall not be used in describing the products.
(2) Purchase food articles from licensed vendors and insist on Bill or Cash Memo.
(3) Prefer foods sold in packed containers even if you have to pay more.
(4) Prefer food certified by Government agencies like (a) Agmark in case of spices, edible oils,
ghee, butter, honey, atta etc., (b) I.S. Certification Mark in case of Milk powder, Condensed
milk, Infant milk food, Infant formula, Milk, cereal based weaning food, Food colours,
confectionery, biscuits, vanaspati (I.S. Certification is must).
(c) F.P.O. in case of processed fruit products like jam, jellies, ketchup, pickles, chutney, soft
drinks or fruit beverages.
*There are some exemption in case of specific packages, consult Prevention of Food
Adulteration Rules for details.
(5) Prefer use of iodised salt in place of common salt.
(6) Avoid coloured foods especially sweetmeats/sharbets/ice-candy.
(7) Avoid silver leaves or other decoratives on food.
(8) Buy food articles from reputed firms.
(9) Buy whole masala or certified masala packs.
(10) Do not buy cut/exposed fruits/vegetables.
(11) Do not use container or packages used for insecticide, chemicals or non-edible oils.
(12) Report to Health Officer/Director (PFA)ZFood & Drugs Administration in case of any
complaint regarding food adulteration.
While preparation/serving food
To protect your family follow these simple tips:
(1) Wash your hands with soap and water before you start preparing food and after every
interruption.
(2) Cover cuts in hand by bandage.
(3) Cut your nails short and keep them clean.
(4) Cover your head with hair net/band.
(5) Wear clean over clothes.
(6) Keep all kitchen surface meticulously clean.
(7) Wash food grains/vegetables, fruits, eggs, fish,-meat thoroughly before cooking/eatingfetoring
in refrigerator.
(8) Avoid contact between raw foods and cooked food, specially, raw meat/fish/poultry meat.
(9) Cook food thoroughly at boiling temperature.
(10) Serve cooked hot food immediately.
(11) Store cooked food carefully, preferably below 10 deg. C or above 60 deg. C.
(12) Do not store cooked food in danger zone, i.e., between 10 deg. C to 60 deg. C, specially
perishable food articles.
25
Protect foods from flies, insects, rodents and other animals.
Wash your hands with soap and water before starting eating.
Do not prepare/cook food several hours before eating.
Re-heat cooked food thoroughly to make all parts of food above 70 deg. C.
Keep the refrigerator door closed, defrost/clean your refrigerator every week.
Do not consume stored prepared food if having off (rancid) flavour/smell of food in which
froth has set in.
(19) Use pure and clean water preferably potable water in preparation of food.
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
BABY-CARE
(20) Remember mother’s milk is best for your baby. Continue feeding breast milk as long as you
can.
(21) After 4 months of age, baby needs solid food. Start giving home-made weaning food instead
of expensive tinned food.
(22) Do not give left over food to your baby.
Issued by :
Directorate General of Health Services (Food Section).
26
FOOD AND HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE
1.
NAME OF ORGANISATION
POSTAL ADDRESS
PIN :
2.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES RELATED TO FOOD ADULTERATION/CONSUMER PROTECTION: (PLEASE
NO
YES,
TICK RELEVANT ITEMS BELOW AS :
Other sources
Own
i)
Facilities for food testing :
ii)
Consumer action against adulterated food manufacturers :
Yes
No. If Yes, please specify below:
Withdrawal of food items :
Prevention of manufacture of food items
Propagation of alternatives
Others : (Kindly specify)
Educational campaigns :
If Yes, specify :
No
Yes
Target group :
Region :
Field :
Research Studies :
(If Yes, kindly specify)
No
Yes
Food surveys
Adulterated food items : (vendors, manufacturers, etc.)
Consumption patterns among :
School aged children
Case studies :
_
Field Trials :
Others :
v)
Rural poor
Urban poor
Networking Activities (Give details) :
27
vi)
Any other : (Please Specify)
3.
If Yes to 2(i) or (iv) please answer this question, if not go to 4.
(a) Specify the adulterated food items covered as listed below :
Haldi
Salt
Oil
Vanaspati
Ghee
(iv)
Bread
Biscuits
Snacks
(v)
Atta
Rice Flour
Sooji
(vi)
Milk
Powder Milk
Soya Milk
(vii)
Supari
(viii)
Icecream
(i)
Masalas
(ii)
Dais
(iii)
(ix)
Raw
Any other (specify) :
(b) Specify Food Testing methods for adulterated items used 2(i) :
Name & address of useful organisation for this purpose :
4.
List any resource/studies/educational materials developed by your own organisation or by any other
group/individual that you have found useful :
Title
Available from :
Thank you for answering our questionnaire, we are preparing an update of available information for the
Indian consumer. On hearing from you we will send you a FREE COPY for every questionnaire received!
Kindly send in your filled in questionnaire by November 30, 1992 addressed to :
“FOOD & HEALTH PROGRAMME”
Public Policy Unit,
Voluntary Health Association of India
40, Institutional Area
South of IIT, New Delhi -110 016.
28
Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) is a non-profit registered
society formed by the federation 6t Voluntary Health Associations organised
at ths level of States and Union Territories. VHAI links over 3000 grassroot!sve! organisations and community health programmes spread across the
country.
VHAi's primary objectives are to promote community health, social justice
and human rights related to the provision and distribution of health services
in India.
VHAI fulfils these objectives through campaigning, policy research, and
press and parliament advocacy; through need-based training and provision
of information and documentation services; and through production and
distribution of innovative health education materials and packages, in the
form of print and audiovisuals, for a wide spectrum of users — both urban
and rural.
VHAI tries to ensure that a people-oriented health policy is formulated and
effectively implemented. It also endeavours to sensitise the larger public
towards a scientific attitude to health, without ignoring India's natural
traditions and resources.
_____ ._______ ____
Voluntary Health Association of Omdia
Tong Swasthya Bhavan,
40, Institutional Area, Near Qutab Hotel
New Delhi 110 016 INDIA
Phones: 668071, 668072, 655871, 652953, 665018
Fax : 011-685 3708 Grams : VOLHEALTH, N.D.16
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