Vijayawada: The food products adulteration continues unabated in the capital region. Krishna and Guntur districts have become the hub of adulterated food products in the state. New adulterated food products are surfacing almost on daily basis in the two districts. Vijayawada has been the hub of adulterated ghee and milk products for years.
The food safety officials have recently found that even biscuits and over-the-counter snacks which are bought by school-going children are being adulterated in Vijayawada.
Many prefer Sunnundalu, a local snack known for its nutritional values, which are made up of black gram powder, sugar and ghee are found to be adulterated.
The food safety officials found that decayed black gram intended for cattle feed and low-grade vegetable fat (dalda) are being used in making sunnundalu. In addition, the biscuits are being prepared with the ingredients that are used to manufacture cattle food.
This vegetable fat is being brought from the stockists, where the residues of the fat left over and are not useful for consumption as it changes the colour.
According to the zonal food controller Nutalapati Purna Chandar Rao, these products are sub-standard in nature and harmful to health. He said they will cause intestinal disorders and damages the liver.
Dr K. Ravi, endocrinologist, observed that consumption of hydrogenated and unsaturated fats like dalda causes serious health problems if not immediate but in the long run. These fats affect the metabolism of the body and also leads to arterial clogs which results in strokes.
Guntur has been the hub of adulterated milk, milk powder, black gram, edible oils, turmeric and chilli powder.
Narasaraopet and Vinukonda areas have hundreds of small units that are making these adulterated products. The saying in the district was that in Narasaraopet, one can get “second grade (do number mall) products of anything and everything.
The food safety officials have busted milk dairies that are preparing milk with skimmed milk powder mixed with vegetable fat in Guntur.
They have also found dehusked black gram coated with talcum powder to get shining and oil mills preparing cooking oils with animal fats in Guntur district. Chilli powder and turmeric adulteration is rampant in the district.
