May 24, 2015

Soft drinks, food products of 300 firms adulterated

Several soft drink brands sold in Kerala contain hazardous chemicals. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has ordered these products to be recalled from the market.
The decision comes in the wake of media reports about possible regulatory action against Maggi noodles, which the state regulator in Uttar Pradesh said had high levels of lead and monosodium glutamate.
Kerala’s Food Safety Commissioner’s Office also found that food and healthcare products from about 300 companies, including multinational corporations, have been adulterated. The department has not publicised the names of the offending companies but the list has been handed over to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India as global companies were involved.
The central government has asked the states to immediately seize products that adulterate medicines and food items that attract children. The adulteration mostly happens in pills, which are usually mixed with chalk powder and chemicals. The fakery is prevalent in vitamin tablets.
The colouring agents used in beverages targeting children are proven agents which trigger cancer. Chips and ice cream have a large amount of harmful bacteria. The samples collected from across the state were tested in state-run food safety laboratories.

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