Sweets may leave a bitter aftertaste

AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) public health department is on a strict vigil this Diwali. It has reported adulteration of various milk and bakery products in shops across the city. Raids conducted by the department have revealed that some unscrupulous shopkeepers use carcinogenic food colours, potato-based mawa and insect-infested flour to make Diwali delicacies.
"Sweets contain non-permitted colours like metanil yellow, malachite green and rodomin b, which are industrial dyes used in tanning silk, leather and paper.
Excessive consumption of these colours has proved to be carcinogenic and affects learning abilities in both kids and adults. If sweets make you dull, farsan can leave you sick this season as many farsan shopkeepers are using stale flour to make various Diwali food items. A number of cases, where shopkeepers use old flour with insects to make farsan items, have been reported by the AMC's health department.
Under the new Food and Safety Act, food inspection has gained momentum. Fines up to Rs 5 lakh can be charged for adulterations, and in some cases, it can even invite a jail term.
"The AMC raided 17 shops on 21st October and destroyed 2,000 kgs of stale and adulterated mawa and 1,000 kgs of khoya from cold storages. The mawa was found kept in unhygienic conditions and was not refrigerated at all. Around 800 kgs of mawa was destroyed from a cold storage in Gota and other 600 kgs was destroyed in Naroda," said Dr Subhash Kulkarni, AMC health officer.
BOX 1
What precautions to take
- Purchase food from well-known shops
- Check the manufacturing and expiry information on boxes, since it is mandatory that this information be printed on packets
- Avoid food not stored in proper and hygienic conditions.
- Avoid storing food for more than 2-3 days
- Avoid brightly coloured food as they contain more colour
- Avoid silver foiled mithais
Box 2
Ill-effects of adulterated food
- Non-permitted colours - Can cause cancer, slows own learning in children and adults, weakens immunity
- Food essence - Blood anticoagulant, increases risk of liver cancer
- Stale and insect infested food - Food poisoning, acute gastroenteritis, chronic hepatitis
- Adulterated desi ghee - Persistent chest infections
- Adulterated milk products - Increased salivation, vomiting, abdominal cramp, diarrhoea.