Adulteration in Food Items

 

It is tough these days to find quality products in this fast-moving world. We move on the clock and buy packaged goods from the shelves of the supermarket. Hence, the mass production and some frauds sitting amongst us interfere with the products we purchase and we end up consuming those products with almost zero nutritional value. This happens most of the time with food products. And it is called the adulteration in food items or better known as food Adulteration. 

Food adulteration is the deliberate lowering of the quality of food provided for sale, either by the addition or substitution of inferior substances, or the omission of a valuable element. Food adulteration is caused by the addition of preservatives or undesired chemicals to food items in order to make them look more appealing or stay longer on shop shelves. Going more in-depth, adulteration in food items, according to the definition, is the act or process of intentionally or willingly degrading the quality of food items offered for sale, either by adding or substituting inferior substances or by removing a valuable ingredient to extend the shelf life or make it appear more appealing to the prospective customer.

Adulterants are substances or chemicals that, when added to a food item, reduce the quality and nutritional value of that food item. Adulterants degrade food's inherent quality. Any food item, in any shape or quantity, could include the adulterant. 

The most common adulterants in India are:

Milk: Milk in India was contaminated with diluted water, detergent, fat, and even urea, according to a 2012 investigation undertaken by the FSSAI across 33 states. Water, chalk, urea, caustic soda, and skimmed milk are some of the adulterants used in milk, whereas paper, refined oil, and skimmed milk powder are used in Khoya.

Honey: According to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, most honey brands sold in the country contain varied quantities of antibiotics, which could lead to antibiotic resistance, blood-related diseases, and liver harm if consumed over time.

Pulses: Arhar dal is the most widely contaminated dal, and it is generally tainted with metanil yellow. Metanil yellow is a common non-permitted food colour used widely in India. Long-term ingestion of metanil yellow produces neurotoxicity in the developing and adult brain.

There are other ingredients like spices, wheat and vegetables which falls under the trap of adulteration very often. 

The products are advertised in a deceptive manner, frequently defrauding buyers. Despite the fact that the FSSAI has enacted strict anti-adulteration legislation, small vendors and company owners continue to defraud clients.

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for 2014-15, out of 49,290 food samples examined, 8,469 (almost one-fifth) were determined to be adulterated or misbranded. The food industry needs strict actions people or organization involved in adulteration in food items.