Following ICMR’s recommendation to lift the ban on three variants of Khesari dal, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) will shortly invite public views on the issue. The dal was banned in 1961, as its consumption was linked to a neurological disorder called lathyrism (paralysis in the legs).
The top food regulator will come out with a draft notification for public consultation, seeking their views whether the three variants of dal namely Raman, Prateek and Mahateara were fit for consumption.
Earlier, the FSSAI had proposed rigorous tests for the dal by scientific panels as it was banned for decades on the grounds of safety.
FSSAI CEO, Pawan Kumar told the Pioneer, “Based on Scientific evidence and details that are available from experts, we reached the conclusion that lathyrism occurs only when it is taken in a very large quantity. There is no evidence of lathyrism occurring due to consumption of dal in the last two decades.”
Based on these evidences by the ICMR, the FSSAI has asked the Health Ministry to approve draft notification for public consultation. Authority is the autonomous body under the Ministry.
“There will be 60 days of time for people to give their inputs in the matter,” Kumar said.
When contacted, Health Ministry officials said that all food products contain some toxic elements from the earth and their effect on human health depends on the extent of usage. They said the varieties of Khesari Dal that have been cleared by the ICMR are a rich source of protein and contain little amount of toxins like any other food item.
“The toxicity level of the dal depends on its usage. The view held by the ministry is that Khesari dal is a rich source of protein and all foods will have some residues that come from the water and the soil. So that is not a major issue. The only question is whether the residual is more than permissible limit,” he said.
“It depends on what quantity one is eating. Earlier, people used to have three times a day because of its affordability. In such cases the toxicity level may go up. But now nobody consumes it on daily basis,” noted the official.