Adulteration in food is a serious cause of concern. Prohibited substances are either added or partly or completely substituted.
In India people carry out contamination/adulteration in food either for financial gain or simply due to carelessness and lack in proper knowledge with regard to basic hygiene measures of processing, storing, transportation. This ultimately results that the consumer is either cheated or often become victim of diseases.
However, adequate precautions taken by the consumer at the time of purchase of such produce can make him alert to avoid procurement of such food. It is equally important for the consumer to know the common adulterants and their ill effect on health.
Injurious Adulterants/Contaminants in Foods and their Health Effects
In India people carry out contamination/adulteration in food either for financial gain or simply due to carelessness and lack in proper knowledge with regard to basic hygiene measures of processing, storing, transportation. This ultimately results that the consumer is either cheated or often become victim of diseases.
However, adequate precautions taken by the consumer at the time of purchase of such produce can make him alert to avoid procurement of such food. It is equally important for the consumer to know the common adulterants and their ill effect on health.
Injurious Adulterants/Contaminants in Foods and their Health Effects
|
S.No
|
Adulterant
|
Foods Commonly Involved
|
Diseases or Health Effects
|
|
|
Adulterants in food |
|
|
|
1 |
Argemone seeds Argemone oil |
Mustard seeds, Edible oils and fats |
Epidemic dropsy, Glaucoma, Cardiac arrest |
|
2 |
Artificially coloured foreign seeds |
As a substitute for cumin seed, Poppy seed, black pepper |
Injurious to health |
|
3 |
Foreign leaves or exhausted tea leaves, saw dust artificially colored |
Tea |
Injurious to health, cancer |
|
4 |
TCP |
Oils |
Paralysis |
|
5 |
Rancid oil |
Oils |
Destroys vitamin A and E |
|
6 |
Sand, marble chips, stones, filth |
Food grains, pulses etc. |
Damage digestive tract |
|
7 |
Lathyrus sativus |
Khesari dal alone or Mixed in other pulses |
Lathyrism (crippling spastic paraplegia) |
|
|
Chemical Contamination |
|
|
|
8 |
Mineral oil (white oil, petroleum fractions) |
Edible oils and fats, Black pepper |
Cancer |
|
9 |
Lead chromate |
Turmeric whole and powdered, mixed spices |
Anemia, abortion, paralysis, brain damage |
|
10 |
Methanol |
Alcoholic liquors |
Blurred vision, blindness, death |
|
11 |
Arsenic |
Fruits such as apples sprayed over with lead arsenate |
Dizziness, chills, cramps, paralysis, death |
|
12 |
Barium |
Foods contaminated by rat poisons (Barium carbonate) |
Arterial hypertension, muscular twitching, convulsions, cardiac disturbances |
|
13 |
Cadmium |
Fruit juices, soft drinks, etc. in contact with cadmium plated vessels or equipment. Cadmium contaminated water and shell-fish |
Increased salivation, acute gastritis, liver and kidney damage, prostate cancer |
|
14 |
Cobalt |
Water, liquors |
Cardiac insufficiency and myocardial failure |
|
15 |
Lead |
Water, natural and processed food |
Lead poisoning (foot-drop, insomnia, anemia, constipation, mental retardation, brain damage) |
|
16 |
Copper |
Food |
Vomiting, diarrhea |
|
17 |
Tin |
Food |
Colic, vomiting |
|
18 |
Zinc |
Food |
Colic, vomiting |
|
19 |
Mercury |
Mercury fungicide treated seed grains or mercury contaminated fish |
Brain damage, par |
PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION, ACT 1954
A. OBJECTIVE:
1. To protect the public from poisonous and harmful foods.
2. To prevent the sale of substandard foods.
3. To protect the interests of the consumers by eliminating fraudulent practices.
Definition of Food: any article used as food or drink for human consumption other than drugs and water and includes
a. Any article which ordinarily enters into or is used in the composition or preparation of human food
b. Any flavoring matter or condiments and
c. Any other article which the Central Government may having regard to its use, nature, substance or quality, declare, by notification in the official gazette as food for the purpose of this Act.
Definition of Adulterant: Any material which is or could be employed for the purposes of adulteration
B. Concept of Adulteration
An article of food shall be deemed to be adulterated:
1. If the article sold by vendor is not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser.
2. If the article contains any other substance which affects the substance or quality thereof. If any inferior or cheaper substance has been substituted wholly or in part for the article so as to affect the nature, substance or quality of the product
3. If any constituent of the article has been wholly or in part extracted to affect the quality thereof
4. If the article has been prepared, packed or kept under unsanitary conditions whereby it has become contaminated or injurious to health.
5. If the article consists wholly or in part of any filthy, putrefied, rotten decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance or is insect-infested or is otherwise unfit for human consumption.
6. If the article is obtained from a diseased animal.
7. If the article contains any poisonous or other ingredient which renders it injurious to health.
8. If the container of the article is composed, whether, wholly or in part of any poisonous or deleterious substance which renders sits contents injurious to health.
9. If any coloring matter other than that prescribed in respect thereof is present in the article or if the amounts of the prescribed coloring matter which is present in the article are not within the prescribed limits.
10. If the article contains any prohibited preservative or permitted preservative in excess of the prescribed limits.
11. If the quality or purity of the Article falls below the prescribed limits of variability which renders it injurious to health.
12. If the quality or purity of the article falls below the prescribed standard or its constituents are present in quantities not within the prescribed limits of variability which renders it injurious to health.
C. SALE OF CERTAIN ADMIXTURES PROHIBITED
Sale by himself or by his servant or agent is prohibited in case of:-
1. Cream which has not been prepared exclusively from milk or which contains less than 25% of milk fat.
2. Milk which contains added water.
3. Ghee which contains any added matter not exclusively derived from milk fat.
4. Selling skimmed milk as whole milk.
5. Mixture of two or more edible oils as edible oil.
6. Any article of food which contains any artificial sweetener beyond the prescribed limit.
7. Turmeric containing any foreign substance.
8. Mixture of coffee and other substance except chicory.
9. Curd not made out of milk.
10. Milk or milk products containing constituents other than of milk.
D. PROCEDURE FOR SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS
Any food Inspector can enter and inspect any place where any article of food is manufactured or stored for sale or stored for the manufacture of any other article of food for sale or exposed or exhibited for sale or where any adulterant is manufactured or kept and take samples of such article of food or adulterant for analysis.
1. Notice will be issued by the Inspector in writing then and there to the seller indicating his intention.
2. Three samples are taken and the signature of the seller is affixed to them.
3. One sample is sent for analysis to Public Analyst under intimation to the Local Health Authority.
4. The other two samples are sent to the local health authority for further reference.
E. PENALTIES
Guilty will be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months and up to 3 years and with fine up to one thousand rupees.
PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTRATION
As per provisions of PFA Act 1954 following preventive measures should be implemented:
1. If any extraneous addition of coloring matter is added, the same should be indicated on the labels.
2. From the labels the blending composition of ingredients should be clear to the customer.
3. Sale of kesari gram individually or as an admixture is prohibited as it uses carbide (acetylene) gas in ripening which is prohibited.
4. Sale of ghee with Reichert value less than the permitted level.
5. Sale of admixture of ghee or butter is prohibited.
6. Addition of artificial sweetener should be mentioned on the label.
7. Sale of food colors without license prohibited.
8. Sale of insect damaged dry fruits and nuts prohibited.
9. Food prepared in rusted containers, chipped enamel containers and untinned copper/brass utensils are treated as unfit for human consumption.
10. Containers not made of plastic material which is not according to the standards are not to be used.
11. Store of insecticides in the same premises where food articles are stored is prohibited.
1. Milk powder or condensed milk can be sold only with ISI mark.
11. Use of more than one type of preservative is prohibited.
12. Crop contaminants beyond certain specified level is treated as adulterant.
13. Naturally occurring toxic substances in the food material beyond certain level is considered as unfit for human consumption.
14. No anti-oxidant, emulsifiers and stabilizing agent is permitted beyond the prescribed level.
15. No insecticides should be sprayed on the food items.
16. Oils can be manufactured only in factories licensed for such purpose.
Conclusion
Awareness has been on the rise with regard to Food Adulteration and strict implantation of legislative measures to safeguard the health of masses.
Last Week in Feb 2014, Srinagar Municipal Corporation has filed a charge-sheet against three food processing companies for adulteration in a Court. The state government gave sanction to prosecute the companies whose products were allegedly found adulterated with chemicals which can cause cancer; the authorities are moving forward with the charge-sheet. Challan has been prepared against Avon Agro Industries Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, Khyber Agro Farms, Srinagar and M/S Kanwal Agro Food Industries, Anantnag. The government has already accorded sanction for their prosecution... Read More
A. OBJECTIVE:
1. To protect the public from poisonous and harmful foods.
2. To prevent the sale of substandard foods.
3. To protect the interests of the consumers by eliminating fraudulent practices.
Definition of Food: any article used as food or drink for human consumption other than drugs and water and includes
a. Any article which ordinarily enters into or is used in the composition or preparation of human food
b. Any flavoring matter or condiments and
c. Any other article which the Central Government may having regard to its use, nature, substance or quality, declare, by notification in the official gazette as food for the purpose of this Act.
Definition of Adulterant: Any material which is or could be employed for the purposes of adulteration
B. Concept of Adulteration
An article of food shall be deemed to be adulterated:
1. If the article sold by vendor is not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser.
2. If the article contains any other substance which affects the substance or quality thereof. If any inferior or cheaper substance has been substituted wholly or in part for the article so as to affect the nature, substance or quality of the product
3. If any constituent of the article has been wholly or in part extracted to affect the quality thereof
4. If the article has been prepared, packed or kept under unsanitary conditions whereby it has become contaminated or injurious to health.
5. If the article consists wholly or in part of any filthy, putrefied, rotten decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance or is insect-infested or is otherwise unfit for human consumption.
6. If the article is obtained from a diseased animal.
7. If the article contains any poisonous or other ingredient which renders it injurious to health.
8. If the container of the article is composed, whether, wholly or in part of any poisonous or deleterious substance which renders sits contents injurious to health.
9. If any coloring matter other than that prescribed in respect thereof is present in the article or if the amounts of the prescribed coloring matter which is present in the article are not within the prescribed limits.
10. If the article contains any prohibited preservative or permitted preservative in excess of the prescribed limits.
11. If the quality or purity of the Article falls below the prescribed limits of variability which renders it injurious to health.
12. If the quality or purity of the article falls below the prescribed standard or its constituents are present in quantities not within the prescribed limits of variability which renders it injurious to health.
C. SALE OF CERTAIN ADMIXTURES PROHIBITED
Sale by himself or by his servant or agent is prohibited in case of:-
1. Cream which has not been prepared exclusively from milk or which contains less than 25% of milk fat.
2. Milk which contains added water.
3. Ghee which contains any added matter not exclusively derived from milk fat.
4. Selling skimmed milk as whole milk.
5. Mixture of two or more edible oils as edible oil.
6. Any article of food which contains any artificial sweetener beyond the prescribed limit.
7. Turmeric containing any foreign substance.
8. Mixture of coffee and other substance except chicory.
9. Curd not made out of milk.
10. Milk or milk products containing constituents other than of milk.
D. PROCEDURE FOR SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS
Any food Inspector can enter and inspect any place where any article of food is manufactured or stored for sale or stored for the manufacture of any other article of food for sale or exposed or exhibited for sale or where any adulterant is manufactured or kept and take samples of such article of food or adulterant for analysis.
1. Notice will be issued by the Inspector in writing then and there to the seller indicating his intention.
2. Three samples are taken and the signature of the seller is affixed to them.
3. One sample is sent for analysis to Public Analyst under intimation to the Local Health Authority.
4. The other two samples are sent to the local health authority for further reference.
E. PENALTIES
Guilty will be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months and up to 3 years and with fine up to one thousand rupees.
PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTRATION
As per provisions of PFA Act 1954 following preventive measures should be implemented:
1. If any extraneous addition of coloring matter is added, the same should be indicated on the labels.
2. From the labels the blending composition of ingredients should be clear to the customer.
3. Sale of kesari gram individually or as an admixture is prohibited as it uses carbide (acetylene) gas in ripening which is prohibited.
4. Sale of ghee with Reichert value less than the permitted level.
5. Sale of admixture of ghee or butter is prohibited.
6. Addition of artificial sweetener should be mentioned on the label.
7. Sale of food colors without license prohibited.
8. Sale of insect damaged dry fruits and nuts prohibited.
9. Food prepared in rusted containers, chipped enamel containers and untinned copper/brass utensils are treated as unfit for human consumption.
10. Containers not made of plastic material which is not according to the standards are not to be used.
11. Store of insecticides in the same premises where food articles are stored is prohibited.
1. Milk powder or condensed milk can be sold only with ISI mark.
11. Use of more than one type of preservative is prohibited.
12. Crop contaminants beyond certain specified level is treated as adulterant.
13. Naturally occurring toxic substances in the food material beyond certain level is considered as unfit for human consumption.
14. No anti-oxidant, emulsifiers and stabilizing agent is permitted beyond the prescribed level.
15. No insecticides should be sprayed on the food items.
16. Oils can be manufactured only in factories licensed for such purpose.
Conclusion
Awareness has been on the rise with regard to Food Adulteration and strict implantation of legislative measures to safeguard the health of masses.
Last Week in Feb 2014, Srinagar Municipal Corporation has filed a charge-sheet against three food processing companies for adulteration in a Court. The state government gave sanction to prosecute the companies whose products were allegedly found adulterated with chemicals which can cause cancer; the authorities are moving forward with the charge-sheet. Challan has been prepared against Avon Agro Industries Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, Khyber Agro Farms, Srinagar and M/S Kanwal Agro Food Industries, Anantnag. The government has already accorded sanction for their prosecution... Read More
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