Food Adulteration: A Serious Issue

Today, the worst effect of adulteration is taking place only on the items of need used in our everyday life. To nourish the body, we need food items every day. To keep the body healthy, it is necessary to include adequate amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and mineral salts, etc. and all these nutrients can be obtained only from a balanced diet. This is possible only when the food items, pulses, cereals, milk products, spices, oils, etc. found in the market are adulterated. Food adulteration significantly reduces product quality. Cheap dyes etc. in food items. Adulteration makes the product look attractive but adversely affects the nutrient, making it harmful to health.

Normally, any foreign substance is added to a food item or any valuable nutrient is removed from it, or food is improperly stored its quality decreases. Therefore, that food item or food item will be called adulterated. The Food Adulteration Act (PFA Act 1954) was enacted in 1954 by the Government of India to prevent adulteration of food items and to provide pure food to consumers. Ensuring a supply of pure food items to consumers is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Keeping this in view, the above Food Adulteration Prevention Act was enacted, the main objective of which is:

1. Protecting the public from poisonous and harmful foods.

2. Prevention of selling substandard foods.

3. Protecting the interests of consumers by destroying fraudulent practices.

Food adulteration makes it very difficult to distinguish between basic foods and adulterated foods. The use of an adulterated diet adversely affects the body and increases the risk of physical disorder. Food adulteration can lead to loss of eyesight, heart-related diseases, liver failure, leprosy, diseases of the dietary system, paralysis, and cancer. Many selfish producers and traders mix many cheap ingredients in food ingredients to make more profit in less time, which causes side effects on our bodies. Equilibrium: Adulteration can be done in daily consumed foods like milk, buttermilk, honey, spices, ghee, edible oil, tea-coffee, khoya, flour, etc.

Housewives need to be aware to avoid adulteration and identify adulteration. Food adulteration is a crime. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, under the Food Adulteration Act, 1954, provides for imprisonment for a minimum of 6 months, which can be extended up to three years if any merchant or seller is found guilty. Apart from this, there is also a provision for criteria. Food is detrimental to human health and the role of consumers in its prevention is very important. Every consumer (especially housewives) should be aware to avoid adulteration. For this, some important points should be kept in mind such as do not buy open food items. Purchase most standard marking materials (Agmark, FPO, ISI, Hallmark) and keep proper knowledge of the properties, color, purity, etc. of the material to be purchased.

By: Akshit Sharma

Content: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/food-adulteration