Food adulteration: Gangs endanger public health in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Last week, the Cyberabad Special Operation Team (SOT) raided an adulterated coconut oil manufacturing unit at Miyapur. The unit had been mixing palm and mineral oil with coconut oil and refilling it in branded bottles. Tests have proved that mineral oil causes hair loss.

Two days ago the SOT raided an adulterated ghee manufacturing unit at Shamirpet and seized 3,000 litres of palm oil and 1,500 kg vanaspati.

The adulterators were mixing these things in pure ghee and packing it in containers carrying the names of well-known brands like Vijaya. Adulterated ghee affects the human digestion system and causes gastric problems.

Last year, the Cyberabad police raided several adulterated tomato and chilli sauce units in Pahadisharif. The culprits were using rotten chillies.

Lab tests found that the seized tomato ketchup had been prepared with decomposed potato, pulp of decomposed pumpkin, benzene, artificial porridge powder and chemicals to give red colour. These ingredients can affect health and the colour can cause cancer.

Several gangs in and around the city have been adulterating essential commodities like chilli powder, turmeric powder, edible oil and other commodities with harmful chemicals.

Professor P. Radha Rani of the resource management & consumer sciences department of the Home Science College told DC how commodities were being adulterated and of the adverse impact it had on human health. She said the department of resource management & consumer sciences had developed a kit, available at nominal cost, for testing commodities for adulteration.

Look out for deadly adulterants:

Here is how essential items are adulterated and how you can detect whether they are pure or contains harmful adulterants that can affect health.

Chilli powder is adulterated with sawdust, brick-powder and chemicals. Artificial colours lead to cancers. Sawdust and brick-powder impact the digestion system and the kidneys. One can test for adulteration by mixing a spoon of chilli powder in a glass of water. Original chilli powder will mix in the water while sawdust will float and brick powder will sink to the bottom of the container.

Turmeric powder is adulterated with rice-flour, sawdust and metnil yellow colour. Adulterated turmeric has the same impact on our bodies as adulterated chilli powder. The same method can be adopted for testing turmeric for          adulteration.

Pepper is adulterated with papaya seeds. Mix a tablespoon of pepper in a glass of water. The pepper should settle in the bottom while the papaya seeds will not.

Coriander powder is also adulterated with sawdust. The method used in the case of chilli powder can be adopted to test for adulterants.

Tea powder Loose tea powder can be adulterated with sawdust. Adulterators mix artificial colour along with some flavours. With the help of the kit developed by the Home Science College, one can test tea powder for adulteration.

Coconut oil is being adulterated with palm oil and mineral oil. Mineral oil causes hair loss. To detect adulteration, keep the oil in the refrigerator. Pure coconut oil will solidify while mineral oil won’t.

Vegetable oil is adulterated with cactus oil, palm oil and non-edible oils. Adulterated edible oil affects the human heart, stomach and digestion systems.

Sugar is adulterated with washing soda and chalk powder. This impacts the stomach. Mix a spoon of sugar in hydrochloric acid. If it is not pure, fumes will come out. Later, add water to the mixture and dip a red litmus paper. If the paper turns blue the sugar is adulterated. The colour of the paper won’t change if the sugar is not adulterated.

Kit to detect adulterated commodities

The Home Science College in Saifabad has developed a kit to identify adulterated commodities.

Professor Dr P. Radha Rani of the Department of Resources Manag-ement & Consumer Sciences told DC that the kit comprised tools, test tubes and chemicals including hydrochloric acid, iodine, carbon tetrachloride, diethyl ether, furfural, nitric acid, magnet, filter papers, magnitude glass, red litmus paper and other tools. She said that anyone can test food items for adulterants using the kit.