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How Safe Is Our Food?

People throng a street food market in Bengaluru 

At a Glance

• Recent raids have found numerous instances of food adulteration and contamination across India.
• From formalin in fish to sulphuric acid in paneer, the findings have shocked the country and jolted authorities into action.
• Read on to know how to keep yourself and your family safe from the dangers posed by toxic food.

India has been battling food adulteration for a long time, but now it seems like things have reached a tipping point. A recent series of raids across Punjab has unearthed unprecedented amounts of spurious milk and dairy products in Patiala, Amritsar and Mohali, and has led to a major shortage of paneer (cottage cheese) in the city. The revelation that their beloved paneer might have ingredients like detergent and urea came as a huge shock. Punjab’s misery is shared by fish-loving Goa and Kerala, where the discovery of formalin (a preservative made with formaldehyde) in preserved fish has spooked buyers and generated massive controversy over the past couple of months.

With incidents like these adulteration is now firmly under the scanner of authorities, primarily the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

India’s war on food contamination

The discovery of formalin in fish started a chain reaction that led to a series of raids across the country. Large consignments of carbide-ripened mangoes were seized from markets across Karnataka. Adulterated ghee manufacturing units were discovered in Madurai where vanaspati diluted with cooking oil and ghee flavour were packaged as genuine ghee. Expired raw material was found to be used in Kashmir for making Eid sweets. Rumours of carcass meat of dogs and cats being sold with packaged meat proved true in Kolkata. Even the popular snack pani puri came under attack after surprise checks in Gujarat’s Vadodara and Ahmedabad cities found that the puri, water and chutney did not meet food standard guidelines.

In the wake of these devastating discoveries, authorities and lawmakers sprang into action. Across the country, state administrations have authorised raids on food vendors. Officials are being instructed to conduct stringent checks and impose fines on vendors selling low-quality or adulterated items.

A parliamentary panel, criticising the FSSAI over weak enforcement of food safety laws, has, among other directives, recommended that the food regulator be restructured, technically skilled people with domain expertise be hired on a full-time basis, and food safety departments be set up in every state.

For its part, the FSSAI, under pressure from the Supreme Court, proposed several amendmentsto the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, including potential life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.10 lakh on those found indulging in food adulteration. The regulator also launched an ‘Eat Right’ movement to encourage citizens to make better choices around the food they buy and consume.

However the problem of contaminated food won’t go away overnight. So how can you do your bit to keep yourself and your family safe from adulteration?

While ordinary consumers may not have the means to conduct complex purity tests on food items, there are some basic precautions that we can all take to determine what’s safe and what isn't.

1. Check for FSSAI validation

You always look for a Hallmark on your jewellery, then why not a validation of your food? The next time you shop for food, look for an FSSAI license number, a detailed list of ingredients and their percentages, and the expiration date on the package.

Use your discretion when buying non-certified, loose food items from local stores. These may be cheaper, but can lead to hefty medical bills in the long run.

2. Don’t fall for manufacturers' 'health food' claims

Don’t fall in the marketing trap of the ‘healthier option’ or something that ‘tastes like sugar but is not sugar’. Ingredients used to create healthier options have been found to do more harm than the natural product. Look up the claims made by the manufacturers before buying.

3. Check the purity of your food

The FSSAI’s guide outlines ways to test the purity of every day food items from oils to grains, spices, fruits and vegetables and beverages right in your kitchen. Simply access the Detect Adulteration With Rapid Test (DART) Book that covers more than 50 tests that can be performed easily in any household.

Food contamination is not a new issue: it’s been around for as long as one can remember. However, even as criminals get smarter, consumers can stay one step ahead simply by being more aware of what they are putting on their plates.

Now, used cooking oil from eateries to be used for biofuel

Jaipur: The Biofuel Authority of Rajasthan has decided to find a solution about the used cooking oil in the restaurants of the city that can be really harmful for public health.

The department has decided to register a few firms that will collect used cooking oil from various food outlets, hotels and restaurants of the city and sell it to the biofuel manufacturers. This decision is taken after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified that if the Total Polar Compound (TPC) in the cooking oil is more than 25%, it is not suitable for use.

However, used cooking oil is never discarded. Either it finds its way to the small eateries/ restaurants or road side vendors. Or it is disposed of choking drains and sewerage system. As per the data made available by the department, out of the 23 million MT cooking oil consumed in India, three million MT of this can be used for the production of biofuel.

The deputy CEO of Biofuel Authority of Rajasthan, Maninder Singh while talking to TOI explained that the department within a week is planning to call for registration of the interested firms for the collection of used cooking oils. “We want big food outlets in the city to be connected. The restaurants can sell the used cooking oil from their outlet to the firm registered for collection which will further sell it to the biofuel companies working in the city. Through this medium, the used cooking oil will not reach to the small restaurants and street vendors,” said Maninder.

The authorities will even ask the food outlets to file the amount of used cooking oil being generated so that the oil won’t be sold in the black market. Biofuel is a green fuel that can be used as a diesel for engines. With the population rising, an alternative has to be found for petrol and diesel. Used cooking oil can be used for bio-diesel which will be environmental friendly.

GOVT TO CHECK SWEETS QUALITY DURING FESTIVE SEASONS

In order to keep tabs on quality of sweets during festive seasons, the Delhi Government has decided to encourage more number of sweets sellers for registration and will also issue more licences ahead of the festive season.

“As the festive season is coming, a number of sweets shops will come up and the chances of selling of substandard sweets will also go up. To keep a check, we will be issuing more licences,” said an official from the Delhi Food and Safety Department’s Licensing unit.

The Food Department will also run a special campaign under which teams will be formed to raid and collect samples from shops across the city. To create awareness among people, the Department will publish advertisements regarding food safety.

“The demand for sweets products go up tremendously during this time of the year as the festivals are approaching. To meet the demands, sweetmeat shops will be mushrooming in the city,” he said.

In the past three years, the Department has also done various raids to check the food qualities. “In the past three years, 884 samples were collected from different parts of the city, of which 148 samples failed to match the standards. Actions were taken against those found guilty under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” the official said.

The registration and licensing of the street food vendors is also being done, he said.

“We are encouraging more street food vendors for licensing. The Department also checks sample of these foods from time to time,” he added.