Food Adulteration: Understanding the Risks

A clear breakdown of common food adulterants, their health risks, and how to identify them.

1. Food Adulteration Dr. Shivankan Kakkar , MD

2. Food Adulteration - Definition and Types Definition: Adulteration of food is the act of reducing food quality for profit, either by: Admixture or substitution of inferior substances. Removal of valuable ingredients. Food Adulterant (as per FSSA, 2006): Any material that makes food unsafe, substandard, misbranded, or contains extraneous matter. Types of Adulteration: Intentional: To increase profit (e.g., replacing with a lower quality substance). Incidental: Due to negligence or lack of proper storage (e.g., rodent droppings, fungus). Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 2

3. Food Adulteration Laws in India Key Legislations Against Food Adulteration: The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), 1954 The Solvent-extracted Oil, De-oiled Meal, and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967 The Meat Food Products Order, 1973 The Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 The Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 3

4. Food Quality Standards in India Key Standards: PFA Standards (Prevention of Food Adulteration Act): Ensures food is fit for human consumption, setting minimum quality levels. Agmark Standards: Guarantees food is of higher quality than the minimum PFA standards. Certification by the Directorate of Marketing, Government of India. ISI Standards: Set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), ensuring stricter quality than PFA. Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 4

5. FSSAI Standards and Certification Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): Established under the Food Safety and Standards Act (2006) to regulate food safety. Supervises the import, manufacture, storage, and sale of food articles. Packaged food must have an FSSAI license, indicated on the label, assuring compliance with scientific standards. Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 5

6. Common Food Adulterants in India Examples of Common Adulterants: Cereals (e.g., wheat, rice): Mud, stones, rodent droppings, insects. Rye, Millet: Ergot. Pulses ( Arhar /Toor Dal): Lead chromate, Khesari Dal ( Lathyrus sativus ). Black Pepper: Dried papaya seeds. Mustard Oil: Argemone seed oil. Milk: Urea, detergent, caustic soda. Red Chili Powder: Brick powder, sawdust. Honey: Corn syrup, sugar, molasses. Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 6

7. More Examples of Adulterants Additional Adulterants: Coriander Powder: Straw powder, dry grass. Turmeric Powder: Metanil yellow, starch. Ghee (Desi): Hydrogenated vegetable oil, pig fat. Fruits (e.g., Mango): Calcium carbide for early ripening. Tea Powder: Tamarind seed powder, used tea leaves. Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 7

8. Diseases Caused by Food Adulterants Introduction: Consumption of adulterated food can lead to a variety of health problems such as: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea , dysentery Liver and kidney damage Neurological disorders Organ toxicities and even cancer from long-term ingestion of carcinogenic substances. Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 8

9. Common Diseases from Adulterants Ergotism: Caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea on grains like rye and pearl millet. Symptoms: Peripheral vascular disease, convulsions. Prevention: Removal of infested grains via manual picking or saltwater flotation. Argemone Poisoning (Epidemic Dropsy): Caused by Argemone mexicana seeds contaminating mustard oil. Symptoms: Pitting edema , nausea, heart failure, glaucoma. Notable Incident: 1998 Delhi epidemic with 65 deaths. Prevention: Avoid adulterated mustard oil. Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 9

10. Ergotism Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 10

11. Other Diseases from Adulterants Lathyrism: Caused by consuming Lathyrus sativus ( Khesari Dal). Symptoms: Weakness, spastic paralysis of legs ( neurolathyrism ). Prevention: Banned under PFA Act, water-soaking can reduce toxins. Aflatoxicosis: Caused by the fungus Aspergillus growing on grains, nuts, and oilseeds. Symptoms: Jaundice, liver enlargement, cirrhosis, risk of liver cancer. Prevention: Store grains in cool, dry places to avoid fungal growth. Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 11

12. Lathyrism Dr. Shivankan Kakkar, MD 12