PUNE: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) will use an instant
detection kit to check adulteration of any form in 'khoya' (also called
khawa) and
sweets. This will help save a lot of time and ensure stricter
compliance since samples sent for laboratory tests take days to confirm
adulteration, if any. The aim is to check malpractices during festive
season and prevent sale of substandard food products in Pune and adjoining districts.
"Food safety officials can now use testing kits to find out adulteration in khoya and mithais on the spot. If the instant screening reveals that the product is adulterated, then a sample of it will be taken for record and the rest will be destroyed right away," said FDA joint commissioner (food) Shashikant Kekare, on Wednesday.
The on-the-spot food product testing kit uses solutions such as tincture of iodine and sulphuric acid. "A few drops of tincture of iodine can test the quality of khoya. If khoya turns bluish, then it is adulterated. Another kit makes use of sulphuric acid to rule out adulteration," Kekare said.
These tests are scientific, hence they are confirmatory. "The instant detection mechanism will enable our officials to work efficiently and initiate instant action. This will automatically preclude long waits for laboratory reports," said Kekare.
Adulteration is not only an unethical practice, but also a serious risk to human health. Presence of harmful starch, urea mixed milk, caustic soda, ararot, artificial sweetening chemicals, non-approved colored sweets (like heavy metals incorporated malachite green etc) and unhygienic conditions may lead to acute gastritis, serious diarrhoea, dysentery, dehydration, kidney inflammation, etc.
The FDA in the neighbouring state of Gujarat has been using on-the-spot food product testing kit for quite sometime with great success. Their kit can detect 21 types of adulteration, such as urea in milk, argemone in oil, traces of metals in food, aluminium in place of silver foils, etc.
During the last few days, FDA officials in Pune have collected 15 samples of khoya and 28 samples of mithai across Pune division and sent them for laboratory tests. "The report is awaited. From Friday, our officials will start using the new kits. This will facilitate early detection of adulteration and help prevent their consumption,'" said FDA assistant commissioner (food), S S Desai.
"Food safety officials can now use testing kits to find out adulteration in khoya and mithais on the spot. If the instant screening reveals that the product is adulterated, then a sample of it will be taken for record and the rest will be destroyed right away," said FDA joint commissioner (food) Shashikant Kekare, on Wednesday.
The on-the-spot food product testing kit uses solutions such as tincture of iodine and sulphuric acid. "A few drops of tincture of iodine can test the quality of khoya. If khoya turns bluish, then it is adulterated. Another kit makes use of sulphuric acid to rule out adulteration," Kekare said.
These tests are scientific, hence they are confirmatory. "The instant detection mechanism will enable our officials to work efficiently and initiate instant action. This will automatically preclude long waits for laboratory reports," said Kekare.
Adulteration is not only an unethical practice, but also a serious risk to human health. Presence of harmful starch, urea mixed milk, caustic soda, ararot, artificial sweetening chemicals, non-approved colored sweets (like heavy metals incorporated malachite green etc) and unhygienic conditions may lead to acute gastritis, serious diarrhoea, dysentery, dehydration, kidney inflammation, etc.
The FDA in the neighbouring state of Gujarat has been using on-the-spot food product testing kit for quite sometime with great success. Their kit can detect 21 types of adulteration, such as urea in milk, argemone in oil, traces of metals in food, aluminium in place of silver foils, etc.
During the last few days, FDA officials in Pune have collected 15 samples of khoya and 28 samples of mithai across Pune division and sent them for laboratory tests. "The report is awaited. From Friday, our officials will start using the new kits. This will facilitate early detection of adulteration and help prevent their consumption,'" said FDA assistant commissioner (food), S S Desai.
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