Adulteration fosters morbidity & can't be compromised with
Food adulteration violates human rights
Adulteration of food adversely violates human rights. It causes food poisoning which may even lead to death. So, people involved in this must be punished strictly. They don't have any right to play with someone's life. The government should impose laws strictly. Food must be inspected to ensure that it does not contain any objectionable material before it reaches the public. As the rate of adulteration increases during the festive season, especially in sweets, the authorities should be more active and punish adulterators. Adulteration should be the next agenda of the Modi government after Pakistan and corruption.
Pooja Goyal, Class-IX student from Ahmedgarh
Consider four 'A's of food defence strategy
To control adulteration in food items, the administration as well as the government should consider a food-defence strategy that addresses the entire food-supply chain through four 'A's of actionable food defence: assess, access, alert and audit. City residents must know the fact that chemicals such as formalin, calcium carbide, sodium cyclamate, colouring agents, dye, urea, DDT, aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, melamine, burnt engine oil, hormone and sulfuric acid, heavy metals such as chromium, arsenic, antibiotics and banned pesticides are found in food items these days. The greed of earning more and more profit forces traders to adulterate food items. Serious diseases such as cancer, renal or liver failures, memory loss, respiratory problems, infertility and kidney stone are increasing just because of consuming adulterated food. Surprise raids are conducted every year by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) just to collect samples of food items during festive season. Further, late submission of test reports by government labs gives enough time to Food Business Operators (FBOs) either to fly by night or shut traditional delicacies' section. Moreover, lack of scientific post-harvest management knowledge among farmers, inconsistencies and weaknesses in existing food laws and regulations, low level of awareness about food safety among producers and consumers etc. at the hands of administration are prime factors that we fail to check adulteration.
Ravi Chander Garg, Ludhiana
Increase number of food analytical labs
At first, several food samples are not collected regularly and then the results of analysis do not come in time. Hence, defaulters escape punishment. This is partly due to less number of food analytical laboratories. It is suggested that the number of labs be increased to analyse the collected food samples well in time so that culprits get punishment in time. Further, new strict law must be made so that culprits get exemplary punishment. This will also prove a deterrent to others in similar profession. Moreover, the government should request agencies dealing in food analysis to develop quick analytical methods so that samples could be analysed there and then and proper punishment as per rules be proposed, subject to timely results to be obtained from the analytical labs.
Dr G Dev, Kitchlu Nagar
A food inspector must at every eatery
Food is the basic need of every individual and why should it be checked on special occasions only? Why not every day? A food inspector must be there at every food joint and he should report daily about the quality of food. Not only this, every vendor - be it big or small - needs to install CCTV camera, the footage of which must be shown every week to the Health Department.
Gursimar Kaur Middha
Strict action needed
Food adulteration is a serious concern for health and it affects the nutritional status of people. Although the government has enacted various laws to curb adulteration it is still rampant. We cannot imagine how many toxicants we are consuming every day. Those who are indulged in adulteration find it easy to gain profit but they are leading people to the path of morbidity. This is rampant due to inaction of authorities. Special drives by food inspectors at local sweets and food shops are witnesses only during the festive season or rare special days. They remain absent for the rest of the time, whereas adulteration occurs every day. The culprits bribe officers to pass their food samples in laboratories. Hardly any action is taken against them. Strict actions must be taken against offenders and they must be fined heavily. Their licences must be cancelled and they should not be allowed to sell food items in future as part of punishment. The common people must be educated and made aware about adulterations prevailing in food market so that they can differentiate between real and fake. In this way, they can save themselves from health disorders by consuming adulterated food.
Kamaljit Kaur
Punish officials as well
Any type of adulteration in edible items should invite stringent punishment from authorities. Those who indulge in the practice of adulteration, directly play with the health of people. Certain officials encourage small shopkeepers in this. The government should take strict action not only against the erring shopkeepers, but against dishonest government officials as well so that the general public gets pure edible items.
Ravinder Kumar Jain, Haibowal Kalan
FSSAI should step in
First of all, it should be the duty of suppliers not to cheat people. It affects our health and has devastating effects. The main aim of people in this industry is to earn profit only and they are not bothered about people's health or building healthy relationships. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) should keep a check before the food gets supplied in the market. One should restrict himself from buying less market products. Avoid buying and using packed food.
Dishant Sethi
Punish manufacturers for violating food-safety laws
Adulterated fruits and vegetables are ubiquitous. This is a matter of grave concern because it directly pertains to the public health, which cannot be compromised with. Besides a ban, manufacturers should be punished for deceiving people and violating food-safety laws. Although the government has enacted several laws against food adulteration, they are not enforced properly due to lack of trained manpower and endemic corruption. As a consequence, public health is at the 'mercy of profiteers and adulterators' poisoning our food. There is no mechanism to monitor such unscrupulous activities and punish the guilty who are posing a grave threat to our lives. The lives of people are endangered and simple fines and small imprisonments are not enough. There should be a provision for strict punishments such as confiscation of property, life imprisonment etc. As long as some exemplary punishments are not given, this menace cannot be stopped. To make the nation healthy, every citizen must be able to buy food free from contamination.
Akash Kumar, Jagraon
Prepare sweets at home
The officials conduct such checks during the festive season to make extra money. They ignore laws and public health issues. Despite knowing the ill-effects of adulterated food on our health, we not only buy and consume adulterated food, but also present it to our near and dears ones. We should prepare sweets at home instead of buying from the market. The government should check and put raids on shopkeepers. Several NGOs and clubs can play a pivotal role in creating awareness. Provision of fine and jail and cancellation of licence can bring a positive change.
Bipan Sethi, Ahmedgarh
Trained force needed
Food adulteration has assumed an alarming proportion in our country. From milk to drinking water and fruits to edible oils and even meat are being adulterated. Adulterators are not scared of any legal or punitive action due to various loopholes in the existing laws. An empowered force of trained food-safety personnel should visit eateries, food stores, even festival venues, where food is served. Action should be taken where adulteration or contamination is detected through scientific means. 'Consumer awareness' is the first step to eradicate food adulteration. People should start suing shop owners who sell adulterated food. Law should be impartial. Prevailing laws are strict enough to work as a deterrent against those indulging in food adulteration, but much needs to be done to implement these in the right spirit. Consumers have to be aware of their rights and non-profit organisations should play an active role in this regard.
Nikhil Chopra, Jagraon
Permanent sealing of outlets the only solution
Food adulteration was prevalent in our society since independence. It encouraged bad elements to amass huge wealth in a short span when poor governance prevailed. Nowadays, strict laws have been framed, but poor infrastructure i.e. lack of district-level adulteration detection laboratories along with poor conviction rate, still comes in the way of implementation of these laws. Imposing big penalties, imprisonment and permanent sealing of outlets engaged in ruining precious lives is the only way out to check the food-adulteration menace.
Brish Bhan Ghaloti, Ludhiana
Raid school canteens for selling junk food
A few months ago, lead was found in Maggi and pesticides were found in coke, which created a lot of controversy. After that the reports of chemicals in breads shocked the common people. Whatever we eat - be it vegetables or fruits - everything is laced with pesticides and injections of different chemicals. Other products such as bread, biscuits, sweets etc. are also unsafe. So what will people do? Several times, the workers at various food factories and shops are caught red-handed while using unsafe chemicals, colors and other substandard things in food products. The same shops and factories, after sometime, start producing the same poisonous items for people without any hesitation. Storage conditions are worse. Food security conditions are not regulated in big companies, then how can we even think that authorities will pay attention towards small factories? Companies are not serving edible items but poison to people and authorities are highly blamed and responsible for their careless attitude towards public health. Children spend 70% of their time in schools and they learn the habit of eating junk food there because it is easily available. Most of the suppliers supply sub-standard food products which affects the health of children. A ban is imposed on serving junk food at schools but the practice goes on unabated. A health inspector should raid schools that sell junk food. The school management should try to include fruits, nuts, fresh juices, milk and milk products in canteens instead of junk food. This will keep children nourished. The school management should also keep a check on products that come from outside. The Food Security Regulation guidelines are not clear. There is lack of technology, no regular checks are conducted and products are being marketed without the FSSAI stamp. Factories that sell substandard products should be closed and they should not be allowed to just do away with a small penalty.
Deepali, Ludhiana
Comment | Minna Zutshi
Effective implementation of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act imperative
Every festive season, the sample-collecting exercise is carried out with monotonous regularity by the Health Department. Samples of mithai (sweetmeat), milk, khoya, dry fruits are collected.
The department claims to carry out sustained drives against food adulteration in the festive season. Media headlines scream 'sweet poison' sold in markets. The Health Department claims it's keeping a check on this 'sweet poison'. It all sounds good and reads good. But the untold part of this story is by no means palatable.
The 'sustained' drives' stop at sample collection. For results to arrive, it takes months together. And by that time, the festive season is at its fag end.
The mithai that may have been spurious and the milk that may have been adulterated have already been consumedby unsuspecting consumers.
By the time the results of food samples are in, the public has long forgotten all about it, the Health Department is busy with other 'more important' tasks and the media, too, has 'more topical' news stories for readers.
The need of the hour is fixing a reasonably short time frame for the results of food samples collected, so that if samples fail, adulterated food can be destroyed before they are consumed. An effective implementation of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act is imperative.
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