Let’s begin with some of the facts before we go ahead that why these adulterations must be banned or stopped strictly by us or the government.
Fact- 1 – According to FSSAI the research done by them in India in 2012, 33 states were found to adulterate milk with diluted water, detergent, fat, chalk, caustic soda, skimmed milk, and even urea.
Fact- 2 – Tea and Coffee are mostly used beverages in India, and thus they are highly adulterated with other leaves with the same color where some might not even be edible. Several cases of liver infection across the country have been reported to the consumption of such adulterated tea and coffee.
Fact- 3- Different colored and textured vegetables are often colored with different dyes and substances. These vegetables are mostly adulterated with malachite green, a chemical dye that is known to have carcinogenic. Common adulterants in fruits and vegetables are oxytocin saccharin, wax, calcium carbide, and copper sulphate.
Fact- 4 – According to Indian regulations, silver must be 99.9 percent pure if it is used as a food ingredient. However, with silver becoming expensive many sweet shop owners use silver vark that could contain aluminum. The most common ingredients in making these sweets are khoya and chenna and they’re often adulterated with starch.
Fact- 5 – Recently, a major Indian supplier was caught and had to destroy tons of turmeric for dangerous adulteration using metanil yellow and red oxide of lead – the latter being highly carcinogenic. Soapstone or other earthy material and foreign resin are the common adulterants used in Asafoetida. Papaya seeds and blackberries are the common adulterants used in black pepper as they are almost similar in size but tasteless (sometimes bitter). Red chili powder is adulterated with brick powder, salt powder, or talc powder and artificial colors like Sudan Red.
With these facts in recent 10 to 15 years, we can simply understand that our health and our family, society, and country are in danger. We are growing practically in technology, medical science, wealth, and education but the food being the basic and the most important thing in our life is not pure. It is adulterated with such harmful materials and causes our life in danger.
Of course, there are many laws against food adulteration and banned but still, they are going on at a rapid speed. No one can be confident that whatever they are buying or using any food item from the market is pure and healthy or not! The government should spread an awareness campaign against food adulteration and it should also be added to the syllabus of the education system.
People must be aware of buying or using such adulterated items. Social Welfare Societies and Non- Government Organizations must spread such awareness programs to remove this evil adulteration from our society.