KOLKATA: How safe is that mouth-watering biryani sold in Dalhousie or the delicious cutlets at the roadside eateries? A sample test done by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) reveals an alarming result. It says most street food contains hazardous chemical ingredients.
KMC's food and adulteration department officials said 255 food samples have been tested in the last one year. Poisonous chemical ingredients were found in 51 of them, which is more than 20% of all samples tested. These chemical substances are being used by vendors to give a colour coat on vegetables and other street food to make them look more attractive to the customers.
For example, tests on cutlets sold in places like Dalhousie and Esplanade revealed that they contain high quantity of metanil yellow, a dangerous chemical substance. This chemical can even cause cancer if consumed for a long period of time, say experts.
Samples of biryani were found with a chemical substance known as Tartrazine, which can cause liver cirrhosis and cancer if consumed excessively.
In sweets like bonde, danadar and laddu, metanil yellow has been found in very high quantity. The sauce used in rolls or chowmein contains rhodamine that can also cause liver cirrhosis.
It has also been found that the fat on cottage cheese should have being stored sucked up to be used later in other sweets. A case was lodged against a reputable confectionary shop for resorting to this method.
It was also found that pepper is poured in a bucket full of kerosene to keep it fresh for a longer time.
The findings also show that the vegetables that we buy from the markets are not safe either. Vegetables like 'potol' contains copper sulphate and diamond green, which if consumed in excess can hit the nervous system and liver. The colour used to mix these chemical substances can't be removed even after a wash. In haldi too, lead chromade is used. Red potatoes were found containing congored rhodamine, which can even lead to blindness if had in excess. Auramine and tartrazine are being used in adhar dal.
Vegetables and street food apart, even fish we eat is not free from dangerous chemicals. Congored rhodamine is used to ensure ears of fish remain bright red, which means the fish is fresh. In late eighties, over 125 people were paralyzed after taking adulterated oil in Behala. Buyers normally look out for this redness to see if the fish is fresh. But little are they aware that the redness is actually engineered to fool them.
Officials of KMC's food and adulteration department said that in most cases, nothing much could be done against offenders even if cases are being registered against them.
Member, mayor-in-council (food and adulteration), Partha Pratim Hazari, said: "We cannot do much on this with the existing rules. From August, a new Food Standard and Safety Act has been introduced on Tuesday. We can now take some action as it will have some provisions, which are not there in the existing act," he said.
Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said that a new food inspector will be appointed to revamp the entire food and adulteration department and a decision has been taken to modernize the laboratory. "Officers have been told to increase vigil," he said.
KMC's food and adulteration department officials said 255 food samples have been tested in the last one year. Poisonous chemical ingredients were found in 51 of them, which is more than 20% of all samples tested. These chemical substances are being used by vendors to give a colour coat on vegetables and other street food to make them look more attractive to the customers.
For example, tests on cutlets sold in places like Dalhousie and Esplanade revealed that they contain high quantity of metanil yellow, a dangerous chemical substance. This chemical can even cause cancer if consumed for a long period of time, say experts.
Samples of biryani were found with a chemical substance known as Tartrazine, which can cause liver cirrhosis and cancer if consumed excessively.
In sweets like bonde, danadar and laddu, metanil yellow has been found in very high quantity. The sauce used in rolls or chowmein contains rhodamine that can also cause liver cirrhosis.
It has also been found that the fat on cottage cheese should have being stored sucked up to be used later in other sweets. A case was lodged against a reputable confectionary shop for resorting to this method.
It was also found that pepper is poured in a bucket full of kerosene to keep it fresh for a longer time.
The findings also show that the vegetables that we buy from the markets are not safe either. Vegetables like 'potol' contains copper sulphate and diamond green, which if consumed in excess can hit the nervous system and liver. The colour used to mix these chemical substances can't be removed even after a wash. In haldi too, lead chromade is used. Red potatoes were found containing congored rhodamine, which can even lead to blindness if had in excess. Auramine and tartrazine are being used in adhar dal.
Vegetables and street food apart, even fish we eat is not free from dangerous chemicals. Congored rhodamine is used to ensure ears of fish remain bright red, which means the fish is fresh. In late eighties, over 125 people were paralyzed after taking adulterated oil in Behala. Buyers normally look out for this redness to see if the fish is fresh. But little are they aware that the redness is actually engineered to fool them.
Officials of KMC's food and adulteration department said that in most cases, nothing much could be done against offenders even if cases are being registered against them.
Member, mayor-in-council (food and adulteration), Partha Pratim Hazari, said: "We cannot do much on this with the existing rules. From August, a new Food Standard and Safety Act has been introduced on Tuesday. We can now take some action as it will have some provisions, which are not there in the existing act," he said.
Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said that a new food inspector will be appointed to revamp the entire food and adulteration department and a decision has been taken to modernize the laboratory. "Officers have been told to increase vigil," he said.
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