KOCHI: Adulterated food products, from ghee to honey and milk, have started flooding the state’s market eyeing brisk sale during Onam.
Seizure of adulterated food in the state has gone up drastically in the past three years, with the food safety department mopping up Rs 1.1 crore as fine in 2018-19 alone.
While 457 adulterated food items were identified in 2016-17, the number rose to 703 and 781 in 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. Even criminal cases went up from 83 in 2016-17 to 102 in 2018-19.
“There’s a steady flow of adulterated food into Kerala from neighbouring states, mainly Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. We’ve increased our surveillance and have been frequently collecting food samples from across the state for detailed tests,” said Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Kerala Joint Commissioner (Enforcement) D Shivakumar.
He said the department was taking efforts to identify the source units in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where adulteration takes place. “We’re doing our best to prevent adulterated food from getting into the market.”
Officers said the adulterants are of different types --- physical, chemical, metallic and microbiological.
“No food items, be it milk, spices, fruits, vegetables or grains, are spared from the malicious practice,” said a senior FSSAI officer.
During Onam days, mostly milk, ghee and vegetables are the adulterated food items brought into Kerala from other states.