FOOD ADULTERATION- An Alarming Situation

Are we exactly keeping a check on what are we eating ? if your answer is YES you are on right direction ladies and gentlemen keep doing more research Good luck with that,and if your answer is NO its not your fault you trust a lot probably "Happy Soul" i can tag you because i was the same before ,Since i am a kinda curious person while i was reading an article about how fish is being adulterated with carcinogenic chemicals like Formaldehyde and the excess usage of Ammonia to keep the fish fresh,from that day onward I do keep a check on what am i eating on daily basis.

             According to recent report Food Adulteration in India starts from fields itself excess usage of Fertilisers and Pesticides, therefore one kind of contaminant is present in all food range in a very high level of pesticide residues.But pesticide residue is not the only problem, the alarming situation is everyday routine stuff is getting adulterated which is a dangerous ,Here are list of daily routine which is adulterated : 

FOOD             ITEM	ADULTERANTS	SIDE EFFECTS
EGG	Ciprofloxacin	Dizziness, Fainting, Swelling,                          Diarrhea
BREAD	Sub Standard Yeast	Gas, Bloating ,Migraine, Headaches
FISH	Formalin/ Formaldehyde                    Ammonia	Chest pain , Bronchitis , Corrosion in Gastrointestinal tract, Abdominal pain, Diarrhea , Irritation in skin, Risk of Cancer
DRIED FISH	DDT	Breast and other Cancer, Male Infertility, Miscarriages, Liver damage , Nervous system
LETTUCE	Gamma BHC	Dizziness, Headaches , Nausea,   Lethargy ,Seizures
MILK	Formalin , Aldrin	Chest pain , Bronchitis , Corrosion in Gastrointestinal tract, Abdominal pain, Diarrhea , Irritation in skin, Risk of Cancer, Vomiting
PINAPPLE / TOMATO	Ethion	Ingestion, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Sweating, Confusion, Poisoning might lead to Fatigue , Muscle contraction, Loss of reflexes,
APPLES	Alpha Chlordane	Insulin resistance, Migraines, Respiratory Infections, Anxiety, Depression, Blurry Vision, Confusion
CAPSICUM	Gamma Chlordance	Insulin resistance, Migraines, Respiratory Infections, Anxiety, Depression, Blurry Vision, Confusion, Loss of muscle coordination
CHICKEN	Ciprofloxacin , Sulfonamide	Dizziness, Fainting, Swelling,                          Diarrhea, Skin rashes , Nausea, Vomiting
COFFEE	Tamarind seeds , date seeds	Dry eyes, Liver gallbladder problems, Constipation, Intestinal worms
ORANGE           JUICE	JUICE	Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting, Bloating, Cramps, Kidney  stones
TEA	Iron Filings, Coal Tar, Sand	Stomach ache , Liver, Cancer
GHEE	Palmolein Oil	High in Calories, Increases Cholesterol, Weight Gain
TUMERIC	Lead chromate	Dermatitis, Chronic Ulcers, Asthma
SWEET WINES	Diethylene glycol	Tachypnea, Hyperventilation,

   This list only consist of daily routine products consumed by majority of us on daily basis apart from that cottage cheese , clarified butter ,colouring agents in spices and usage of carbide to ripen the fruits faster has created lot of health hazard.Children and elderly people are the most vulnerable to these toxins in food items which are being served by the majority of street hawkers in the erg to give food in cheap price they put health of so many people at sake. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the primary body governing food standards in India, there work is to inspect the registered food and sweet shops and to inspect the quality of raw products used to make food and sweets on regular basis to check if some shop is indulge in adulteration or not.Unfortunately, there is lack of awareness among the people they are moreover tempted to buy cheap food then looking for healthier options. 
                               We have forgotten about over Indian traditional way of farming which is also giving healthy crop which have all the required nutrients which are useful for us then to eat something which is overloaded with harmful pesticides. This problem is wide spread and is a matter of great concern and is increasing day by day and WE the citizen don't really care, why cant we just boycott these adulterated food which are harmful for our body and are responsible for alteration of our gene as well.why cant we create adequate pressures on the bureaucrats and politicians ever to get out of the ac rooms and do the reality check themselves that what kind of nation are we going to make is there any room for improvement.Adulteration is something Behind the scenes Killer and WE the society is letting it happen right in front of us.

  FOOD GOVERNING BODIES IN INDIA :

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FASSAI) has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 which consolidates various acts and orders that are related to Food Quality and Food hygiene. FASSAI has been created for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate thier manufacture,storage,distribution,sales and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

STEPS TO PREVENT FOOD ADULTERATION :

1. MAKE SAFE CHOICES : Always try to buy food items with FASSAI - validated label on it, which literally means it will have a FASSAI licence no , list of the ingredients used to make the food item and very important Expiration date .
2. HAVE SAFE WATER : Try having safe water filtered with RO if not then add a piece of alum and keep it for half an hour and then ensure it by boiling it .
3. BE AWARE : Everyone should be little aware and try down some methods to control adulteration , FASSAI has introduced an e-Book named DART (Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test) which is a must have for food companies and homes to check adulteration.
4. LOOK AT THE FOOD LABEL : Just don't believe whatever marketing add is saying kindly check the ingredients as well, do a little homework before going to a supermarket .for an example simple artificial sweeteners are more harmful then the natural sugar would do.

    

                                                                                                                                BY : RIA PANI