Kolkata: Alarmed by the sharp drop in sales, bakeries in the state attempted to assure consumers that the bread they manufactured was safe, but admitted that harmful additives could be present in either the flour or the bread improver added to the dough.
Speaking at a hurriedly convened press conference on Thursday, representatives of bakers said potassium bromate and potassium iodate, if present, were within the limit prescribed by food safety regulator FSSAI. They, however, acknowledged that the claim was not based on test reports but faith.
The two chemicals have been banned in EU for being possibly carcinogenic, but are allowed in India in measured quantities.
"We have not checked the level of the two chemicals in the bread we make, but I am confident it is not beyond the permissible limit. Moreover, there is no conclusive proof that bread has caused cancer or thyroid ailments in anyone here. The report published by an environment action group in Delhi is alarmist and misleading. We believe it is a conspiracy hatched by a corporate to corner the bread market by driving small and medium manufacturers out of business on the pretext of safety," said Idris Ali, a Trinamool Congress MP and secretary of the largest forum of bakers in the state.
In an emotional appeal, Ali urged consumers to continue having bread as the industry would otherwise collapse and drive lakhs out of jobs. "Sales have already dipped by 30%. The situation will become grim if sales continue to drop," he said.
However, other bakers present, including Sk Ismail Hossain who represents another bakers' forum, admitted most bakeries did not have chemists or laboratory facilities to test the chemical composition of ingredients. "We do quality checks, but that does not involve chemical analysis. We have no way of knowing if the chemicals are present beyond the permissible limit in the flour or the improver," he said.
Bakers in Bengal: 4,000 (3,500 small; 450 medium; 50 big)
Daily production: 10-12 lakh pounds
No of consumers: 40-48 lakh
Consumption in Kolkata: 5 lakh pound
No of consumers in Kolkata: 20 lakh
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