Mumbai: Think before ordering food at any of the multinational fast food joints. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Bombay High Court alleges that the food being served there is unhealthy due to the heavy usage of antibiotics.
Advocate Shehzad Naqvi filed a PIL on December 22 in the HC against fast foods chain suppliers. In the PIL, he has alleged that these companies are using antibiotics and genetically treated chicken which are harmful for health. The PIL also seeks action against use of chemicals by fruit and vegetable vendors and poultry farms in India are using pig fat and growth hormones in chicken.
“As per the official documents of the Union Health Ministry, these giant fast food manufacturers do not follow proper guidance to ensure healthy food supply. These meals contain sodium, unhealthy fat, carbs that cause a severe effect on health in a long term. Nowadays, many schools going children consume these meals on a daily basis which would leave serious implications on their health. So, this needs to be stopped,” said Naqvi.
As per the PIL, these fast food supplying chains are using genetically added substances, which are banned, which is prima-facie a violation of section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “It highlights how innocent children are eating genetically-treated chicken from multinational fast food brands, which is harmful to their health,” reads the PIL.
In the PIL, Naqvi also alleged that chickens raised in poultry farms are injected with pig fat and phosphates to increase their weight. He has also sought action the vegetable vendors who use chemicals in foods. “The vegetable and fruit vendors use banned chemicals like calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits. Not only that in vegetables they use harmful chemicals to provide artificial shine,” he added.
“These phosphate additives found in meat and chicken are called ‘Vascular Toxins’, capable of impairing arterial functions within hours of consumption. It further bears mention that these chicken also contain arsenic toxicity can lead to cancer of the bladder, lung, skin, kidney and colon. Even low levels of exposure can lead to paralysis and diabetes,” said Dr Om Shrivastav, Infectious Disease Expert.
City doctors have raised concern over the health hazards of the usage of these chemicals. “You must have seen while buying apples that the sellers apply wax to provide a shining look and retain the moisture. As per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sellers can use edible wax such as beewax, carnauba and petroleum jelly. But often, the quality of the wax is not maintained which leads to the development of infections and ulcers when the body fails to absorb the wax,” said nutritionist Dr Uma Prasad.
The PIL also raises concern about the usage of pig fat and growth hormones in chicken that is banned by the Union agriculture ministry. As per The World Health Organization (WHO), usage of artificial hormones can affect reproduction and also alter the functioning of endocrine in humans.
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