Punjab has earned the distinction of being the second state in the country to offer adulterated food. As per the Food Safety and Standards Authority in India, 1,458 food samples were found to be adulterated, unsafe and misbranded in the state. Uttar Pradesh with 4,119 failed food samples has the poorest record.
Reports of food samples collected by Punjab Health Department officials from across the state and tested by using Honey Test Kits at the Chandigarh-based state government food laboratory over the past five years has indicated that adulteration of milk, milk products like desi ghee, edible oils, pulses and mineral water had witnessed a steep rise, causing concern among health officials and common people.
Tea leaves were found adulterated with iron flakes to increase their weight while the silver foil used to improve the look of sweets like ‘burfi’ was being substituted with aluminium foil, which is harmful for human health.
Pulses were found to have been adulterated with non-permitted artificial colours while black pepper was mixed with papaya seeds with a motive to earn more money by unscrupulous traders.
Harmful chemicals are reportedly found in numerous food items and adulteration is rampant as the Health Department doesn’t conduct frequent checks.
“Shopkeepers too promote such products in a bid to make a killing,” said a Health Department official. He further said the highest percentage of milk samples fail in the state with the rate having doubled from 22 per cent to 44.3 per cent last year.
Interestingly, Punjab has the ‘highest’ rate of failed food samples in the country.
On Friday, the Bathinda police raided a factory that mixed fake ghee with desi ghee. Similar incidents have also been reported in other parts of the state. There are also reports of pulses and apples being coloured with harmful chemicals.
Commissioner of Food Safety, Hussan Lal, said the government had devised a mechanism wherein a person with a particular quantity of milk would be given a license to sell. “Similarly, 50 designated food safety officers have been deployed across the state. Soon, their number will be raised to 60,” he said.
Hussan Lal further said they would focus on active surveillance to stop the sale and manufacture of adulterated food.