Markets are all set for Diwali. On taking a walk across the city one can find that market is adorned with wide variety of colourful sweets. But do not give in temptation for those eye-catching delicious sweets as they can be adulterated.
It is often found that sweet-makers during festive season use contaminated materials and also add harmful colours to make it attractive. Keeping in mind the health concerns of the city residents, Food and Drug testing laboratory authorities are collecting samples from various sweet shops.
Director in-chief of food TP Barnwal said, “A lead-based, carcinogenic dye called metanil yellow is being used in sweets like laddu and some other food items like biryani. Their inviting colours instead of having used tartrazine, which is more expensive. Metanil yellow is considered to be very harmful and affects the brain and kidneys. It also leads to cancer. Similarly, muric acid and lead nitrate in paneer or chhena and formalin in milk are toxic and affect the central nervous system. On a lesser scale, Sudan III - a contaminant often used in gulabjamun - can cause skin irritations. To stop it we carry out adulteration tests.”
He further added, “Sample collections process from shops are done on monthly basis. Around 20-30 per cent of collected samples are found to be adulterated. Recently, our team collected samples from sweet shops of Upper Bazar, Kadru, lalpur and some shops of main road after two days their reports will be on my table.”
According to Barnwal if any sample is found to be adulterated, stern actions are taken against them. Under Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 monetary fine can be imposed on the guilty shopkeepers and their licenses even could be cancelled.
last year from as many as samples from 170 sweet shops were collected and out of them as many as 30 shops were found selling adulterated sweets. Milk and milk products are adulterated most during Diwali. “Our department does not have adequate number of employees as a result of which it is not possible for us to conduct adulteration test in city’s every shop. Despite we try to perform our duty in best possible manner,” added Barnwal.
Meanwhile, adulteration test is not a fear for many shopkeepers of the city as they are confident about their product. Churuwala a well-know sweet shop at Upper bazaar Owner Pradeep Sharma said, “We are not afraid of such test. Every month we undergo through this test and are always given green signal from the department.”
Echoing him, another sweet seller said, “We do not use contaminated material in our products. From ten years we are dealing in these items and till date no complain has been witnessed by our customers. Moreover, we prepare our food items hygienically.”