Toxins for lunch

The glossy, spotless and rich colour of the fruits and vegetables in the market, can be truly alluring. However, while carefully selecting the perfect-looking produce from the market, are we choosing toxins for consumption? Yes, say experts.
While the State government is bending over backwards in its efforts to ensure safe produce under the Food Safety Scheme, the results of the recent research conducted by the Kerala Agricultural Univer­sity’s Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory, Vellayani, point out that it could be a herculean task.
“The research was conducted over the past five months with each sample tested for the presence of nearly 120 compounds.  Since it costs Rs 6000 for testing one sample, the research was carried out only in Thiruvanantha­puram as an initial phase. It will be extended to other districts in the coming months to prepare a detail­ed state-wide report,” says Dr Tho­mas  Biju Mathew, who led the rese­arch process at the Vellayani Lab.
The research tested 1024 samples, out of which 226 tested positive for pesticide residue. Seventy eight of these samples and nearly 15 types of vegetables exceeded the Maximum Residue Limit. Most of the produce is imported from other states and hence imposing regulations would be difficult say authorities. “We are now planning a two step awareness and prevention campaign at the producer and  the consumer levels. The consumer level campaign has already begun and we are providing directions for removing pesticide residue in a home environment. We are also planning on  providing a safe-to-eat tags for vegetables to help consumers. However, it would be difficult to implement it on a large scale in a  time bound manner,” adds Dr Thomas.
Recently on a television show, Raj Kalesh, popular TV show host, declared emphatically, “80 per cent of our youth are going to die of cancer due to consumption of adulterated food.” He argues that most of the produce are crammed with chemicals, many of them carcinogenic.
“Fruits are ripened using fumes, the colour of pulses and cereals are enhanced using chemicals like zinc oxide, potassium carbonates, lead chromate, Sudan dyes and so on. Even the matta rice that we buy are coloured using a mix of rice bran oil and zinc oxide,” he says. According to Kalesh, bug and pest ridden produce available in local shops and ration stores though we despise them, are safer than their polished and packaged counterparts. He says that the presence of pests indicates that the produce is organic and natural, unlike most products in the market today which do not decay for weeks because of chemical preservatives.
“Many practises like the use of wax on apples and the use of many dangerous gases for ripening of fruits were identified and banned. However, one adulterant seems to be replacing the other in the market. Consuming some of these adulterants in large quantities or for a long period of time is likely to severely affect health and  can lead to ulcers, tumours and cancers,” says Dr Anjali, a nutritionist in Kochi.
Though the Food Safety Department in Kerala acts as a mechanism to curb such malpractices  and adulteration, it has its limitations. “We currently have only three Food Saf­e­ty Labor­at­o­ries  and one laboratory to check  foo­d­stuff in Sab­a­rimala. We need better infr­a­structure and better laboratories where adulteration can be properly monitored,” says Mohammed Rafi, Food Safety Officer, Kozhikode.
There are numerous government initiatives like the Farm to Fork scheme that is in effect, but the implementation part is wanting. Shortfall in manpower poses  a major problem. “The licensing part of the Food Safety Procedure’s responsibility was transferred from boards like the TSA, MFPO and SPO to the Food Safety Department. But the manpower of the department remains the same. Add­it­i­onal staff is urgently required for the effective implementation of such schemes,” points out Moham­med Rafi.