CHENNAI: If you consume coriander powder not certified by Agmark, there are chances that it may contain horse dung. A whole lot of other powdered spices, including chilli and turmeric, are also prone to adulteration, according to experts.
Speaking to Express after a demonstration on detection of contaminated food products, organised for government employees by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) here on Wednesday, P Mani, chemist with the Regional Agmark Laboratory, listed some of the most commonly adulterated food products.
Vanaspati is mixed with ghee and castor oil is added to coconut oil. What is alarming is that some of the adulterants mixed with powdered spices are carcinogenic and may cause serious illness too.
Senior chemist C Mahesh of BIS said Sudan Red, a carcinogenic additive used to colour petrol ‘diazo conjugate’ dye, with an orange-red appearance, is mixed with chilli powder.
Again, a carciogenic, ‘metanil yellow’ dye is added to turmeric. “This colouring makes the fake one better than the original,” he said.
Horse dung that resembles coriander in colour is mixed with the spice. Jaggery or sugar syrup are added to honey. “Consumption of horse dung may cause acute gastroenteritis,” said Mahesh.
To a question, he said it may be very difficult for the common man to detect adulteration. “The best option is to go for products that have an Agmark tag, a Union government certification guaranteeing quality standards,” he said.
Dr C Naresh Kumar, Head of Dairy Science, Madras Veterinary College, said besides water, other adulterants used in milk are starch, cane sugar, hydrogen peroxide and sodium bicarbonate and urea. “Better awareness is the only solution,” he emphasised.
Not one case under Food Act
Speaking at the training programme for government employees on food safety by BIS, advocate K Murugan said although Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 provided for filing of complaints by consumers, not a single case had been filed under the law since it came into force 56 years ago.
“The act facilitates action by both health inspectors and consumers,” he said. While the officials could inspect, check, and take appropriate legal action for misbranding, contamination and adulteration, consumers could file cases for the same offences. “It is sad that not even a single case was filed all these decades,” he added. Only awareness of the subject among the people would help prevent such offences in the community.