New Delhi: India is a hub of controversies where food items once or twice in a year becomes a headline for their contentious ingredient. With the recent Maggi controversy, food import and export guidelines have come under the scanner. Now food authorities have issued a notice to check samples of Maggi in every state.
While gourmands like us would argue that there are far more pressing food safety issues to worry about in our country, there are always two sides to every coin, so we give you a quick list of some controversial foods in India.
KFC’s ‘Rizo Rice’ artifical colour controversy
The samples of ‘Rizo Rice’ was taken from KFC at Scindia House in Connaught Place showed that it contained artificial colour.KFC denied these allegations and the authorities have confirmed that their rice product is safe for consumption.
Although rice sample was collected by FSSAI and analyzed from an NABL accredited independent lab at the same time and it confirmed that Tartrazine or any other synthetic colour was not present in the product.
The McDonald’s ‘beef fries’ controversy
In May 2001, a class action lawsuit was filed against the world’s largest fast-food chain McDonald’s. The lawsuit alleged that the company had, for over a decade, duped vegetarian customers into eating French fries that contained beef extracts.
Activists of Hindu fundamentalist groups – the Shiv Sena, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal, staged a demonstration in front of the McDonald’s head office in Delhi protesting the alleged use of beef flavouring. They submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister, demanding the closure of all McDonald’s outlets in the country. About 30 people were arrested and later let off on bail. Company officials estimated the loss to the outlet at Rs 2 million.
Coca-Cola, PepsiCo controversial ingredient from drinks
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo removed a controversial ingredient from all their drinks, including Mountain Dew, Fanta and Powerade.
The ingredient, called brominated vegetable oil, had been the target of petitions on Change.org by a teenager who wanted it out of PepsiCo’s Gatorade and Coca-Cola’s Powerade. In her petitions, Sarah Kavanagh noted that the ingredient has been patented as a flame retardant.
Branded milk controversy
In 2012, report cited Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that found 70% of the milk sampled in Delhi adulterated. Glucose and skimmed milk powder were reported as the main adulterants.
Paediatrician gave their views that infant weaned on cattle milk may remain malnourished if the milk is diluted with water. Experts said that Milk adulterated with urea may lead to omiting, nausea and loose motions; detergents, vegetable fat and caustic soda can even lead to cancer in the long run. It can cause lever damage, heart problems and damage of the mucous membrane of the food pipe. After knowing so many health issues caused by adulteration, big brands lost their reliability among consumers.
Maggi Silicon ingredient
Food inspectors have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi noodles from shops across Uttar Pradesh, saying the product contained dangerous levels of lead. The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) in Uttar Pradesh said high lead content was found during routine tests on two dozen packets of instant noodles, manufactured by Nestle in India
Two FDA officials said all the packets of instant noodles tested in the state-run laboratory were contaminated. They found a lead concentration of 17.2 parts per million (ppm), which is way beyond the permissible limit.
Now food authorities have taken a new move and said that authorities will have testing of maggi sample in the whole country to counteract the high content of silicon in India.
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