The Junk in your Food

The incident sums up the irony that at a time when politicians and policymakers are intensely debating the issue of food security,they consciously turn a blind eye to the perils of unsafe food. Though as important as food security,food safety has remained a fringe issue so far,because as a country,we are still struggling to honour our citizens basic right to food, says V N Gaur,CEO,Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In other words,making sure that there is enough food for everyone to eat has been so critical for us so far that the quality of the food has not caught our collective focus yet.

The importance of food safety is not totally lost on the authorities. In fact,the FSSAI was set up in 2005 under a new Act of Parliament in an effort to check the growing menace of rampant food safety violations. But five years hence,the body has yet to begin full-scale functioning. Bejon Misra,former chairman of non-profit organisation Consumer Co-ordination Council and founder trustee of Healthy You Foundation,attributes this to the fact that food safety has not yet become a political issue like food security. Hence,the lack of sensitivity and efforts.

Farm to fork

According to experts,including civil society groups,scientists,academics and doctors,in India,food safety is violated at every step,beginning with the production. From farm to fork,the entire process is compromised… because the sole focus so far has been on ensuring availability. Safety norms at every level,beginning with production,to storage,processing,transportation,marketing and selling have been largely ignored, says Professor Sri Ram Khanna,Convenor,Voluntary Organisation In the Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE).

To begin with,point out civil society groups,a majority of the population doesnt have access to safe water. The heavy use of insecticides and pesticides in farming is now exposing them to high levels of severely harmful chemicals.

While the issue of use of chemicals in farming needs a complete rethinking of our agricultural policies,deliberate or even inadvertent adulteration and contamination of food items procured,processed and sold is an issue that can be handled with pro-active law enforcement which doesnt happen.

Incidentally,around 90 per cent of the food market in India is unorganised,and therefore,difficult to regulate. It is common knowledge that in the unorganised sector,everything,beginning with vegetables and fruits,milk and milk products,poultry and meat products,oil and ghee,sweets,confectionery and spices,have high levels of deliberate contamination, says Chandra Bhushan,Associate Director,Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Organised violations

Authorities maintain it is extremely difficult to check malpractices in the unorganised sector because of a long and complicated chain from the point of origin to sale. It is much more convenient to rein in the organised sector, says the FSSAIs Gaur. However,the organised food sector,though still very small,poses challenges of a different kind. Armed with market intelligence and questionable scientific reports,it largely works in a self-styled manner.

Packaged and processed food is a nascent industry in India and it is still largely an urban phenomenon among consumers with hectic lifestyles and also,increasing disposable incomes. They are still in the process of getting exposed to the phenomenon and the debate on the goodness or the harmful effects of such food items has yet to take off here, points out Misra,who is a consumer representative in the FSSAI.

While it is acknowledged the world over that food additives and colouring agents have harmful side-effects,in India,the use of forbidden chemicals is also rampant. Some of the additives,food colours and preservatives used in food processing in our country are not as per our existing laws and many a time,found to be present beyond prescribed limits, says Misra.

Dr Bir Singh,Professor,Community Medicine,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,says there are scientific studies to link the use of spurious additives and preservatives to various ailments. Some commonly used additives and preservatives in products such as snacks,soups,sauces,juices,and pickles,among others,include benzoates,glutamates,mono- and di-glycerides,nitrates and nitrites,and sulfites. Even a minuscule excess quantity of these is known to trigger physical disorders.

A section of observers,however,argues that processing of food is a win-win for farmers as well as consumers. Maintaining that less than 5 per cent of fruits and vegetables produced across the country are processed,Rekha Sinha,Executive Director,International Life Science Institute,India (ILSI),says: Preservatives and additives are used to ensure the longevity of products. These are essential ingredients for food processing,and food processing is an effective way of checking food wastage. The ILSI is a global non-profit body active in the area of public health and safety.

A large quantity of food produced in our country goes waste because of spoilage during storage and transportation. Food processing is a win-win for farmers as well as consumers, she adds.

Food coming into the country from outside,according to those in the business,is another serious threat to food safety. In 2002,one of our studies had revealed that 80 per cent of imported food products did not adhere to existing food laws. I am sure the state of affairs will be more alarming now, says Misra.

According to the CSEs Chandra Bhushan,the Customs Department doesnt have enough on-the-site assessment capabilities to test products coming from foreign markets and sending the samples to laboratories across the country means a long wait for results. Hence,imported food mostly goes into the market unchecked.

Laws and enforcement

The violation of food safety norms is a serious crime in most countries. Interestingly,India has had world-class laws and regulations on the issue; enforcement,however,has been a big challenge,given the multiple authorities scattered across various central and state ministries and local bodies.

The FSSAI was set up in the light of the growing incidents of violations and also,to increase consumer awareness. It is an umbrella legislation that encompasses every aspect of food safety,including identification of contaminants,setting of limits and standards for contaminants,their delisting,prescribing of labelling requirements,conducting of inspections and surveys,maintenance of data,setting of guidelines for accreditation of laboratories and organisation of training programmes for food safety officials,among others.

Some civil society groups,however,are sceptical about the efficacy of the Act and the body set up under it. The fact that the Act was passed in 2005 and most of its rules and regulations have yet to be notified says it all. Our problem is not laws but their enforcement, says Chandra Bhushan.

While exuding confidence that the FSSAI could bring about a meaningful change,Gaur too adds a disclaimer: In a country of a billion-plus population where a large part of the industry is still unorganised,voluntary commitment from all stakeholders will do more good than any piece of legislation.

Chew on this

Packaged,Processed food

Additives/preservatives/chemicals used in them are generally not bad for health. However,the safety of many artificial food additives and preservatives is a subject of debate among academics and regulators. They include anti-microbial preservatives (which inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi) and antioxidants (oxygen absorbers,which inhibit the oxidation of food constituents). The commonly used preservatives and their harmful effects:

Benzoates can trigger allergies and may cause brain damage. Foods in which they are used include pickles,flour,margarine,fruit purees,fruit juices,and beer.

Glutamates may cause headaches,palpitations,dizziness,and cancer. Almost all convenience foods contain this harmful preservative. According to various experts,excess of this chemical in the system may cause behavioural problems,such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among children.

Mono- and Di-glycerides may cause birth defects and cancer. You may find these preservatives in many foods,such as cookies,cakes,pies,bread,peanut butter,dry roasted nuts,vegetables packaged with sauce,shortening,and margarine.

Nitrates and Nitrites are known carcinogens. These harmful preservatives are used to preserve meat.

Sulfites are also common food preservatives and may cause headaches,joint pain,heart palpitations,allergies,and cancer. Foods include fruit,dried fruit,jarred olives and peppers,corn syrup,cornstarch,wine vinegar,and wine.

Aluminium,if it accumulates in body cells,can be toxic and has been linked to Parkinson-like diseases. It is also known to cause neurological disorders and has been linked with osteoporosis. It is found in sugar-coated flour confectionery,sweets,tablets.

Poultry

In general,commercial poultry breeds lay eggs early. Even then,most poultry breeders across the country use placentry (oxytocin) and galactogogue hormones to speed up the process and to make the birds lay more eggs.

Fruits and vegetables

While farmers across the country use a variety of pesticides and insecticides in their fields,middlemen who buy their fruits and vegetables to sell it in the market also use various chemicals to preserve and enhance the look and feel of the produce. Injecting steroids in vegetables and fruits to make them look fresh and fleshy is a common practice. Also,there are chemicals such as oxytocin and calcium carbide that are used to increase the size and visual appeal of products. Oxytocin is commonly injected into pumpkins,watermelons,brinjals,cucumbers,bottle gourds,bitter gourds,and spinach,among other products. Carbide is used in fruits for ripening.

These chemicals are harmful for human consumption and can cause serious health problems if they find their way into the human body over a sustained period of time.

Milk and milk products

Use of various prohibited tastes and colour enhancers in packaged milk and milk products is quite rampant.

Imported and Genetically Modified

A majority of the imported food products imported into the country violate existing food laws. Besides,despite the continuing debate on genetically modified food,many varieties are freely available in the market.