Food adulteration

General observation is that one of the reasons for more people contracting various types of ailments of digestive system, respiratory system, and diseases like arthritis, tuberculosis etc. is of adulterated and impure food items of daily consumption. Water, milk, cereals, pulses, oils, vegetables etc. are among the daily consumable articles for human beings. If these items are adulterated, it means our daily intake of adulterated food items will produce cumulative effect which leads to one or other anti-body formation only to cause a health problem. It is for this reason that administration takes various steps to ensure that food items are not adulterated.

Last year a case of food adulteration by a couple of leading food processing companies came to notice and it was given much media hype. Three companies in particular were mentioned, and these are M/s Khyber Agro Milk Farms, M/s Avon Agro and M/s Kanwal Agro Food. Samples of food products of these companies were lifted and sent tor laboratory tests and the case was taken up by the court for prosecution. What happened to that episode is not known. More recently the Government has filed status report before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. According to this report out of 1663 food samples taken in Jammu division, 287 samples were found substandard, misbranded or unsafe. Out of 1405 samples taken from Kashmir division last year 344 samples were found substandard, misbranded and unsafe. Cases were processed against not all but only some of the defective samples and most cases the culprits were let off. Reacting on the status report, the Court has first of all touched on the issue of number of samples lifted from Srinagar district which is bare 351, no doubt far less keeping in mind the size of the population of Srinagar. The court is not convinced that this small number of samples can give a comprehensive picture of the level of adulteration in food item in the valley. Additionally, samples have been taken by the Srinagar Municipality Corporation officials and not a single sample has been taken by the Food Safety Authority. This and other declarations in the status report have disappointed the Divisional Bench which has asked the Food Safety Authority to file an affidavit why it has not obeyed and implemented the orders of the High Court. The understanding of the court is that functionaries who are required to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 have not understood it properly and maybe it is one of the reasons why full implementation of the Act has not been undertaken.

From observations made by the court it appears that the Food Safety Department is not fully equipped with all the gadgets, machinery, manpower and other infrastructural requirements enabling it to discharge its functions efficiently. Actually this exposes the department to public criticism. Why has it been sleeping over these requirements and allowing food items to be adulterated by unscrupulous elements. The court has expressed its disappointment and anguishes on lack of sense of responsibility on the part of the Food Safety Department and has issued strict orders that prosecution of companies or persons indicated for food adulteration should be expeditiously resolved.

The point is that the Government cannot play with the health and welfare of the people in general. If the prosecution of the culprits of adulteration is delayed for one or the other reason, it indirectly means that the Government is not much concerned about the adulterate food items people are consuming on daily basis. With laboratory tests showing that some items are adulterated, what should immediately follow is that these items should be banned forthwith and the company blacklisted. Unless strict action is taken, there will be no stopping of the criminal activity of adulterating food. Thus one may appreciate the Government collecting samples and sending these for test to laboratories but why there is no follow up action is the point that needs to be highlighted. Are the food products manufacturing companies as powerful and influential as to subvert the public health and run away scot free? It is for the administration to deal with adulteration cases with speed and determination in the interests of the health of ordinary citizens.