Amoga Laxmi Sukka/ Hyderabad: Cutting down on excess fats, preservatives and food color is the key for safe and healthy Deepavali, the nutrition experts say. They caution that many of the mouth-watering sweets available in the market during Deepavali may be adulterated and of substandard quality. “The bulk demand of sweets during festivals is one of the reasons for adulteration that can cause serious health hazards”, said Sujatha Stephen, the chief nutritionist at Global Hospitals.
"Silver and gold foils in sweets may look sparkling to the eyes but definitely not to the healthy body"
The unhygienic conditions in kitchens and usage of same oil repeatedly can lead to radical change in metabolism. “The ghee can be adulterated with mashed sweet potatoe or vanaspati which is generally not good for elderly people. The saturated fat in it may increase cholesterol levels causing ill health”, she said.The shelf-life of sweets can range between a few hours to a day, beyond the permissible limits it gives rise to fungus due to moisture and people do not notice as it is mixes with sweet color. Extreme care and precautions must be taken while preparing sweets and preserving it at right temperatures in sweet shops. The moisture levels present in the sweet box can change the nutritive and healthy values of it, the Nutritionist said.
Silver and gold foils in sweets may look pleasant and sparkling to the eyes but definitely not to your healthy body. According to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, silver foil with a purity of 99.9% can be used in edible form. Aluminum foil is whitish grey in color and is readily soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid while silver foil is not. Knowing this simple thing can avert unhealthy impact on body.
“The foils used in sweets within permissible limits directed by Food Standard Authority of India will be safe for consumption. The quality of foil differs a lot and it is not known if it is of standard or cheap quality that can affect primarily the children”, she cautioned.
Tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed that the silver foil used for coating sweets is increasingly being adulterated with aluminium. Aluminium is a hazardous metal and accumulates in body tissues, especially in the bones. It can also enter the brain. During pregnancy it can cause damage to the placenta and foetus. People with disturbed metabolism cannot digest and give rise to gastro disturbances and bladder stones.
Given the skyrocketing prices of sugar, khoya and permissive colors, most of the small and middle range sweet shops are compromising on the quality of sweets. Balaji S, vendor of a sweet shop said that cost of colors that was Rs 150 per packet last year has increased to Rs 200.
The shops that are not licensed tend to use cheap colors to make sweets look colorful which is carcinogenic in nature and can affect brain, Stephen warned. For preserving sweets, manufacturers use formalin, a chemical used for preservation of corpses.
Consuming formalin-mixed products can even damage kidneys and liver. It can cause asthma attacks and cancer. Pregnant women are most vulnerable to this chemical and if consumed during pregnancy there are chances of delivering a physically challenged baby. Sweets made from fruit extracts and dry fruits pack is more nutritious and healthier than sweets. Dark chocolates are the perfect option as anything based with cocoa and dry fruit are bounced with micro minerals and energy, the Nutritionist said.
Silver and gold foils in sweets may look pleasant and sparkling to the eyes but definitely not to your healthy body. According to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, silver foil with a purity of 99.9% can be used in edible form. Aluminum foil is whitish grey in color and is readily soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid while silver foil is not. Knowing this simple thing can avert unhealthy impact on body.
“The foils used in sweets within permissible limits directed by Food Standard Authority of India will be safe for consumption. The quality of foil differs a lot and it is not known if it is of standard or cheap quality that can affect primarily the children”, she cautioned.
Tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed that the silver foil used for coating sweets is increasingly being adulterated with aluminium. Aluminium is a hazardous metal and accumulates in body tissues, especially in the bones. It can also enter the brain. During pregnancy it can cause damage to the placenta and foetus. People with disturbed metabolism cannot digest and give rise to gastro disturbances and bladder stones.
Given the skyrocketing prices of sugar, khoya and permissive colors, most of the small and middle range sweet shops are compromising on the quality of sweets. Balaji S, vendor of a sweet shop said that cost of colors that was Rs 150 per packet last year has increased to Rs 200.
The shops that are not licensed tend to use cheap colors to make sweets look colorful which is carcinogenic in nature and can affect brain, Stephen warned. For preserving sweets, manufacturers use formalin, a chemical used for preservation of corpses.
Consuming formalin-mixed products can even damage kidneys and liver. It can cause asthma attacks and cancer. Pregnant women are most vulnerable to this chemical and if consumed during pregnancy there are chances of delivering a physically challenged baby. Sweets made from fruit extracts and dry fruits pack is more nutritious and healthier than sweets. Dark chocolates are the perfect option as anything based with cocoa and dry fruit are bounced with micro minerals and energy, the Nutritionist said.
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