The ban on gutka and pan masala in Maharashtra is having another positive fallout. Officials say, thanks to the embargo, the food adulteration problem here is diminishing.
Tests carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 11,000 gutka and pan masala samples over the last few years had found 98% of them adulterated with calcium or magnesium carbonate. The substances gave extra texture and flow to gutka and pan masala while adding considerably their harmful effects. Gutka and pan masala were banned in the state in July.
FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade confirmed that food adulteration cases have come down of late in the city but, at the same time, cautioned against buyers dropping their guard or officials easing vigilance. "Buyers must know what ingredients are present in the food they purchase ," said Zagade. "This is possible only if they make an effort to test the food items to check for the presence of adulterants."
Cancer surgeon Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi of Tata Memorial Hospital explained how gutka is adulterated. "Gutka is a combination of areca nut (90%) and tobacco (10%). A popular adulterant, gambier , is routinely used in place of catechu (kattha) since the latter is expensive. Gambier is unfit for human consumption ." Dr Chaturvedi added that excessive amount of magnesium carbonate is toxic to cheek lining, kidney and heart.
For years, gutka, pan masala and milk have been adulterators' favourites products to contaminate, followed by edible oils and spices. Such has been the rampancy of the menace that carcinogenic (cancer-causing ) contaminants have been discovered in condiments as common as chilli powder and turmeric.
Experts underlined that food adulteration should not be viewed only through the prism of getting poor quality food at higher prices. It should be seen for the deleterious impact it has. A ubiquitous example of the insidious threat, they say, is milk, which is frequently found tarred with starch, detergents and other chemicals.
In July, FDA had busted a milk adulteration racket in Malad (W). The racketeers were buying milk packets from company outlets and slitting their sides to remove a third of the contents. The packets were then refilled with water and distributed to houses and hotels in Malad (W).
Vasundhara Deodhar, a consumer member of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, said citizens can verify if a milk packet has been tampered with "by pressing it in the centre between their fingers" . "If any seam on the side does not contract uniformly with the other sides, then the packet was interfered with," she said.
Tests carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 11,000 gutka and pan masala samples over the last few years had found 98% of them adulterated with calcium or magnesium carbonate. The substances gave extra texture and flow to gutka and pan masala while adding considerably their harmful effects. Gutka and pan masala were banned in the state in July.
FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade confirmed that food adulteration cases have come down of late in the city but, at the same time, cautioned against buyers dropping their guard or officials easing vigilance. "Buyers must know what ingredients are present in the food they purchase ," said Zagade. "This is possible only if they make an effort to test the food items to check for the presence of adulterants."
Cancer surgeon Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi of Tata Memorial Hospital explained how gutka is adulterated. "Gutka is a combination of areca nut (90%) and tobacco (10%). A popular adulterant, gambier , is routinely used in place of catechu (kattha) since the latter is expensive. Gambier is unfit for human consumption ." Dr Chaturvedi added that excessive amount of magnesium carbonate is toxic to cheek lining, kidney and heart.
For years, gutka, pan masala and milk have been adulterators' favourites products to contaminate, followed by edible oils and spices. Such has been the rampancy of the menace that carcinogenic (cancer-causing ) contaminants have been discovered in condiments as common as chilli powder and turmeric.
Experts underlined that food adulteration should not be viewed only through the prism of getting poor quality food at higher prices. It should be seen for the deleterious impact it has. A ubiquitous example of the insidious threat, they say, is milk, which is frequently found tarred with starch, detergents and other chemicals.
In July, FDA had busted a milk adulteration racket in Malad (W). The racketeers were buying milk packets from company outlets and slitting their sides to remove a third of the contents. The packets were then refilled with water and distributed to houses and hotels in Malad (W).
Vasundhara Deodhar, a consumer member of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, said citizens can verify if a milk packet has been tampered with "by pressing it in the centre between their fingers" . "If any seam on the side does not contract uniformly with the other sides, then the packet was interfered with," she said.
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