Jan 14, 2012
Food Adulteration: ‘Higher-Ups Sleep On Field Reports’
Srinagar, Jan 13: After the shocking revelations by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India that 83 per cent of milk produced and consumed in Jammu and Kashmir was contaminated with components like salt, detergents, caustic soda and several other harmful substances, the Drugs and Food Control Organization, Kashmir, Friday asserted 30 per cent of food items in the Valley were “highly adulterated,” while Kashmir alone consumed 75 per cent of contaminated milk.
“Kashmir consumes 30 per cent of adulterated food items - spices, biscuit, edible oil, salt, and many other eatables, which is shocking. Besides, the Valley people alone consume 75 per cent contaminated milk being produced by local companies,” public analyst/ designated officer, Drugs and Food Control Organization, Hamidullah Dar, alleged while talking to Kashmir Observer.
He said the food safety officers had been working in different districts and sub districts to check the menace of contamination and they had been collecting samples of milk from time to time, for which they had already sent reports to higher authorities to take action against the companies involved in adulteration.
“We collected samples from every corner of the valley and during their testing we found that out of eight samples, six were adulterated with starch, detergent and some synthetic substances,” Dar said, adding “In many other food and edible items, our experts found that turmeric and chili powder, sounp, sweets, ghee, pickles, oils, salt had been adulterated with toxic colors, starch with other harmful substances”.
He said his team had done the sampling and prepared the report before FSSI. Asked why he did not take action against the companies involved in contamination, Dar said, “As a concerned officer, my job is to frame the report and highlight the areas and companies involved in contamination and my work remains restricted to laboratory only, rest is the job of higher authorities.”
Reliable sources in the Drugs & Food Control Organization said contaminated products were a source of income for various law enforcement officials and other unscrupulous elements.
“Contamination is possible only when concerned administration officials adopt a non-serious approach towards the companies involved in the crime. Although lower rung officials do their job like sampling, testing and reporting their findings to the food commissioner and other authorities who, on their part more often than not prefer to look the other way. The chief minister should order appropriate action in the matter,” said a well placed official, wishing anonymity.
Refuting claims of the commissioner, Food Safety, that food inspectors had been asked to collect samples, sources revealed their earlier reports had been ignored.
“On August 5, 2011, we started sampling in different areas and all the food inspectors worked very hard, and then we found most of the products, milk as well as other eatables contaminated. We sent the report to the commissioner sahib, what happened to that, please ask him,” said the official.
Pertinently, Kashmir Valley alone produces 11.32 lakh tonnes of milk annually.
“If Omar Abdullah is serious in improving the health sector, he should not let people die. He should immediately check the menace of adulteration to bring down the incidence of diseases. But, they are busy in their own world,” said a senior citizen, Muhammad Abdullah of Budgam.
When contacted, Commissioner, Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir, Satish Gupta, said he was looking into the report and would take action very soon. Then, he dropped the phone. When this reporter made attempts to ascertain his response to reports of drug inspectors about contamination of milk and other edible items already lying with him, the commissioner finally answered the call for a few seconds and said. “Right now there is no light here, we will talk tomorrow about this”.
Meanwhile, the director, Animal Husbandry, Kashmir, Dr Farooq Ahmad Kaloo, said, “I think majority of our milk producers in the state don’t even know about the harmful chemicals added to milk elsewhere in the country. Our milk producers, I mean the dairy farmers, are innocent. Their intelligence and knowledge is limited to water and water chestnut flour adulteration whereas outside they use urea, soaps, vegetable fat and even formalin. But this too has to be stopped immediately,” he said.
“Whatever milk we import, I do not hold a brief for that. My unit is not allowed to test the tankers of milk coming daily to Kashmir, which is another issue,” Dr Kaloo said.
Talking to Kashmir Observer, deputy commissioner, Srinagar, Baseer Ahmad Khan, said that they will soon take action against the companies involved in adulteration.
“On the priority basis, I had ordered constitution of three committees comprising experts from Health and Drug departments, SMC and others to monitor the markets and check the level of adulteration. We will not spare anybody found guilty in adulterating food items or milk,” he said, adding the officials had done video sampling of certain companies as well and once the report came these companies were going to have tough time.
“Kashmir consumes 30 per cent of adulterated food items - spices, biscuit, edible oil, salt, and many other eatables, which is shocking. Besides, the Valley people alone consume 75 per cent contaminated milk being produced by local companies,” public analyst/ designated officer, Drugs and Food Control Organization, Hamidullah Dar, alleged while talking to Kashmir Observer.
He said the food safety officers had been working in different districts and sub districts to check the menace of contamination and they had been collecting samples of milk from time to time, for which they had already sent reports to higher authorities to take action against the companies involved in adulteration.
“We collected samples from every corner of the valley and during their testing we found that out of eight samples, six were adulterated with starch, detergent and some synthetic substances,” Dar said, adding “In many other food and edible items, our experts found that turmeric and chili powder, sounp, sweets, ghee, pickles, oils, salt had been adulterated with toxic colors, starch with other harmful substances”.
He said his team had done the sampling and prepared the report before FSSI. Asked why he did not take action against the companies involved in contamination, Dar said, “As a concerned officer, my job is to frame the report and highlight the areas and companies involved in contamination and my work remains restricted to laboratory only, rest is the job of higher authorities.”
Reliable sources in the Drugs & Food Control Organization said contaminated products were a source of income for various law enforcement officials and other unscrupulous elements.
“Contamination is possible only when concerned administration officials adopt a non-serious approach towards the companies involved in the crime. Although lower rung officials do their job like sampling, testing and reporting their findings to the food commissioner and other authorities who, on their part more often than not prefer to look the other way. The chief minister should order appropriate action in the matter,” said a well placed official, wishing anonymity.
Refuting claims of the commissioner, Food Safety, that food inspectors had been asked to collect samples, sources revealed their earlier reports had been ignored.
“On August 5, 2011, we started sampling in different areas and all the food inspectors worked very hard, and then we found most of the products, milk as well as other eatables contaminated. We sent the report to the commissioner sahib, what happened to that, please ask him,” said the official.
Pertinently, Kashmir Valley alone produces 11.32 lakh tonnes of milk annually.
“If Omar Abdullah is serious in improving the health sector, he should not let people die. He should immediately check the menace of adulteration to bring down the incidence of diseases. But, they are busy in their own world,” said a senior citizen, Muhammad Abdullah of Budgam.
When contacted, Commissioner, Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir, Satish Gupta, said he was looking into the report and would take action very soon. Then, he dropped the phone. When this reporter made attempts to ascertain his response to reports of drug inspectors about contamination of milk and other edible items already lying with him, the commissioner finally answered the call for a few seconds and said. “Right now there is no light here, we will talk tomorrow about this”.
Meanwhile, the director, Animal Husbandry, Kashmir, Dr Farooq Ahmad Kaloo, said, “I think majority of our milk producers in the state don’t even know about the harmful chemicals added to milk elsewhere in the country. Our milk producers, I mean the dairy farmers, are innocent. Their intelligence and knowledge is limited to water and water chestnut flour adulteration whereas outside they use urea, soaps, vegetable fat and even formalin. But this too has to be stopped immediately,” he said.
“Whatever milk we import, I do not hold a brief for that. My unit is not allowed to test the tankers of milk coming daily to Kashmir, which is another issue,” Dr Kaloo said.
Talking to Kashmir Observer, deputy commissioner, Srinagar, Baseer Ahmad Khan, said that they will soon take action against the companies involved in adulteration.
“On the priority basis, I had ordered constitution of three committees comprising experts from Health and Drug departments, SMC and others to monitor the markets and check the level of adulteration. We will not spare anybody found guilty in adulterating food items or milk,” he said, adding the officials had done video sampling of certain companies as well and once the report came these companies were going to have tough time.
Milking health
Milk, the most common form of nutrition among the masses, may be working on them in several ways except to the cause of good health. It could even turn out to be a good wash out with that gleaming whiteness for one's entrails as detergents are finding a respectful space in milk as a good adulterant. There fore detergents themselves have a dual purpose. 70% of the Milk samples collected by authorities from various parts of the country do not conform to standards.
A recent survey believed to be first of its kind conducted by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) reveals how far the science of adulteration has progressed in the country even while we are distressed over our poor record in scientific research and innovation vis-à-vis China. No Indian is possibly worried over adulteration of milk as it is an accepted practice as long as the limits are not crossed.
It is time to wake from the slumber and look around at the sophistication of adulteration in the digital age. The new 'value additions' to milk other than plain water, are cleaning detergents, urea, starch, formalin ,vegetable salt, Hydrogen peroxide and glucose and..........!.Detergents get in to milk on deliberate addition and also due to the lack of hygiene and sanitation in the handling and packaging of milk.The survey analysis points to redeeming factor that the south Indian states fare much better and there fore are getting a better deal. The states of Goa and Puduchery appear to be the only regions where the product is 100% compliant.
The Indian Council of Medical Research, in one of its reports, states detergents cause food poisoning and gastro-intestinal complications. The other synthetic compounds impair the functioning of various organs of the body, cause heart problems, cancer, and sometimes death. The immediate effect of drinking adulterated milk containing urea, caustic soda and formalin is gastroenteritis, but the long term effects are known to be far more serious.
The situation can be expected to go worse over the years going painful during the long summer of the year. The solution lies in improving the local supply in urban areas. we have built formidable wall that carries a cultural crisis. Western sanitation standards have got in our heads due to high education that many cannot stand the odour of cow dung-a proven manure, pesticide and anti-viral from ancient times. They curse the 'uncivilised' neighbour who takes up the heavy responsibility of cattle rearing, available at his work place from 4 AM every day. Unless we have a growing community of people to take up the 'dirty job' of diary activity as a noble profession amidst a few challenges, we have no escape from adulterated milk.
NRAI to organise interactive session on FSS Act to educate restaurateurs
After September's interactive session with V N Gaur, chief executive officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the National Restaurant Authority of India (NRAI) has discovered the ironic fact that most stakeholders are still not fully aware about the new food law.
“We are now planning an interactive forum on the new food law, which will certainly go a long way in educating our members. The association has submitted its representation to the government seeking clarifications on a number of key issues,” Shilpi Varshney, marketing and communications in-charge.
“The main reason for this is that there is inadequate information on the new rules and regulations. And most of the restaurants in India do not have specialised legal teams to help them analyse the legal provisions and therefore obtain a better understanding of the prevalent food law,” she explained.
At this point in time, there are only two means of communication by which the members of the association come to know about the latest happenings in the industry: the in-house newsletters and e-mail, which it sends on a regular basis.
Although that is not a hassle, restaurateurs all over the country are wary about the implementation of the Act, and to an extent, it is justified too. After all, now that the Act has come into force, the ball is in their court to put in place systems with regard to ingredients, traceability and recall procedures.
And as if that was not enough, the onus has also been on them to make sure that their internal guidelines and norms were in accordance with various provisions of the Act. Varshney explained that the food safety standards were very elaborate. “Because of that, the perception in the industry is that the Act is very complicated and has very steep penalties,” she said.
“We have put forward a number of suggestions to the authorities, to which their response has been extremely positive,” she informed. “We actually sought clarifications to make certain complex provisions easier. That has made it easier to interpret and therefore implement these provisions.”
‘Milk in city, capital unadulterated’
All the 450 samples taken by the Gujarat government in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar using an instant kit have tested negative for milk adulteration. The tests were conducted by Gujarat Food and Drugs Controller Authority (GFDCA) on Thursday and Friday. More tests will be carried out on 2,500 samples sent from across the state at six laboratories.However, what is startling is a central report published a couple of days ago that stated 89 per cent of samples collected from Gujarat were adulterated with harmful chemicals like detergent, fat and even urea, besides the age-old dilution with water. The survey was conducted by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) across 33 states.
Either the methods adopted by one of the agencies are suspect or one of the agencies involved is not above board. Otherwise, how do you explain the huge difference in the results by central and state agencies that tested milk for adulteration.
When asked about the huge disparity in results between the central and state agencies, Commissioner of Food Safety Dr H G Koshia said, “Standards were not maintained by the central agency. Every milch animal is different and their fat content is different, so their testing should also be different. This was not considered.”
Free kits for testing
However, Gujarat Laboratory CEO Hasmukh Amin begs to differ. Amin, the head of the only lab in the state with certification by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, said, “The sample survey carried out by the Centre is accurate in many respects. Because in milk, 16 to 18 per cent adulteration is seen in different ways. Especially when milk sold loose or through small dairies, the possibility of adulteration is maximum.”
Dr Koshia said in the past one year they had found 12 samples that contained synthetic milk, urea, vegetable fat, starch and sodium bicarbonate. “People who buy loose milk should be aware of the adulteration. The sellers add urea, that acts as a preservative, to the milk,” he said, adding that GFDCA provides free kits for testing.
Amin said that there are various tests to verify adulteration in milk that include, for pesticide, urea, heavy metal, bacterial test, besides commercial cheating where water, glucose, milk powder, chemicals and detergents are mixed. The test charges range from Rs 100 to 20,000.
Growing dairy industry
Agriculture Minister Dileep Sanghani revealed statistics of the growing dairy industry in the state. Sanghani said, “Dairy industry is well-established in the state and has been considered as a model for other states. There are 15 co-operative dairy plants in the state with handling capacity of 113 lakh litres of milk per day. Against this, the milk received in co-operative plants was 94.11 lakh litres per day in 2009-10. There are also 25 private dairy plants and 13,761 co-operative societies in the state.”
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