‘Warehoused pepper lots, a clear case of adulteration’

The food safety commissioner of Kerala Biju Prabhakar, who has ordered to destroy close to 900 tonnes of black pepper, says the warehoused pepper lots were adulterated and unfit for human consumption.

“It is a clear case of adulteration,” Prabhakar told Business Line. “The black pepper, adulterated with mineral oil, is a health hazard to the consumers and needs to be destroyed.” He noted that according to the Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011 black pepper should be free from traces of mineral oil, which was Group B carcinogenic stuff.

He said that the rest of the pepper, currently lying in six warehouses which had been sealed by the food safety authority, was at various stages of checking and analysis. If tested positive, they risked destruction.

Prabhakar, however, said the adulteration did not seem to be done ‘for profit.’ The mineral oil was used as a fungicide and polishing agent. Such practice had been in place for long but had not been detected or reported.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had been tipped off that over 6,000 tonnes of black pepper – stored in NCDEX-accredited warehouses – were adulterated with mineral oil. The food safety officials in Kerala tested five samples and found they were all adulterated and sealed all the warehouses in December.

The order to destroy such large quantities of pepper is expected to impact the market prices.