25% of fruit, veggies in Coimbatore unfit to eat

Coimbatore:

Close to 25% of the samples of fruits and vegetable taken by the food safety department in the city since January were found unfit for consumption. They contained organisms that could cause severe health problems like diarrhoea and cholera.

The food safety department collected 44 samples of fruits and vegetables this year--four between January and March and 41 between April and June. “Of this, 21 were found to be unsatisfactory for consumption, and of the 21, 12 were found unfit for consumption,“ said designated food safety officer Dr R Kathiravan.

“The samples declared unfit for consumption contained aspergillus (a form of mold) growth and enterobacter, which is a kind of bacteria,“ he said. “These can cause severe health problems and infections from sore throat to dysentery .“

The coating used for fruit and vegetables is also being watched. “The wax coating to increase shelf life and give the fruit a shiny look is allowed, but most producers use a mineral coating that does not wash off. That is hazardous to health,“ said Dr Kathiravan.

The department will soon began mass inspection of cultivators, storage godowns, repacking units, markets and retailers of fruit and vegetables in the district.

Fruit and vegetables are among the 14 items the state food safety department has decided to focus on for the next few months. Other products include milk, tea, sweets, aerated drinks, beverages, oil and certain items served in small hotels and restaurants.

“These were the products that had the most number of consumer complaints,“ said Kathiravan.

Milk and oil are a cause of concern for the department. “According to our standards, a minimum fat content of 3.5% is required in milk though the golden standard is 4.5%. We get complaints that the fat content is as low as 2% and 2.5%,“ said a food safety officer.

“While consumers accuse producers of adulterating it with water, producers insist that there are cycles during which the cow produces milk with less fat,“ said the official. They are also trying to identify people involved in filtering used oil and selling it to smaller players like roadside eateries.

Though traders have got a six-month extension, till February 4, 2015, inspections and filing of cases will continue, said officials.