Food safety testing in India is lax

The storm over the excessive presence of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in noodles made by the multinational Nestle may be just the tip of the iceberg. What the case points to, despite the mixed results in various states that have picked up random samples for analysis, is the very loose food safety standards in India. The story is the same whether the food products are sold in temperature-controlled supermarkets, or in kirana shops, or in eateries by the kerbside and on the beaches and fairs or wherever else people gather.

While testing standards in recognised laboratories may be up to scratch, what drags the process down is the erratic frequency of testing. From the known pattern of work in the few recognised but overstretched labs, it is clear that random testing hardly exists. The authorities are known to swing into action only when complaints come in. The safety of foods packaged and sold in India is largely up to how quality conscious and thorough the manufacturing companies are.

Multinationals, with the biggest market spread thanks to their advertising budgets, are known to slip in such matters if one goes by the number of times the biggest companies — manufacturing soft drinks to infant food and convenience food — have been in trouble over the years.

Food regulators rarely test local produce, much of which is sold under virtually unknown labels in local shops, for harmful lead and metal content while famous brands are more likely to be tested and hauled over the coals. However, it is the responsibility of established companies to make regular testing part of their production process if they are to justify their huge market shares and profit margins. It is up to the establishment to regulate the food processing chain since we are playing with lives.

What is distracting attention from the main topic of food contamination is the issue of fixing responsibility on celebrity endorsers of products ranging from expensive motor cars right down to 2-minute noodles. The question is, when it comes down to consumable goods like food, do celebrities actually eat what they endorse or do they simply take the money while accepting that their presence is only a marketing gimmick. There is just no accountability among celebrities about the products they endorse. As people who hold sway over the opinions of millions, they have to be much more conscious about what they endorse. Also, we have to be far more careful of what we consume these days because of the enhanced pollution levels in the air, the earth and in the water.