Food safety in India

suricate · Oct 18th, 2009, 01:47

There are lots of threads discussing safe water in India, --
possibly because it affects your health immediately.
But what about food safety in general? The effect on humans may
be long-term, so short-term visitors may not need to care as much
as people who live in India for a longer period (though in some
cases shady food can make you sick in the short-term also).

From time to time articles are published in Indian magazines and
newspapers about food safety in India. It is well-known that
questionable food safety standards are observed in India.
Food in India is often pesticide-laced, is intentionally adulterated,
toxic colouring is often used, unsafe preparation and
preservation methods are followed owing to a lack of general
awareness, and so on. Examples:

Sweets all over India use suspicious colouring (although some
approved colours are also used).
Foodshop glass-cases swarming with flies is a common sight.
Sweets (sandesh) in some Kolkata shops were found to contain
talc. Other examples are listed in some links below.

Frequently seen examples of food with toxic bright/fluorescent colours:
magenta-coloured sweet yams in the veg market; other brightly
coloured vegetables; packaged fried peas; some packaged Indian
snacks; sweets, and so on.

There is serious lack of awareness in the populace. I have seen
village youths boasting of colouring vegetables themselves!

Of course, there are laws to prevent food adulteration in India,
but, like in many other spheres, enforcement is lax.

It would be interesting to know how IM-ers try to tackle this menace.
I for one try to wash pesticide residues and colours off produce,
and regard coloured food items (like sweets) very suspiciously,
generally trying to avoid them if I can. Can't do much about
outside food (apart from ensuring reasonable cleanliness).

Here are some interesting links:

Some of you may already have seen the recent news item about the
warning issued in India about milk-based sweets, asking people to
forego eating sweets during Diwali:

http://news.aol.ca/article/warning-i...sweets/721397/

This one is from the government:

http://www.foodsafetyindia.nic.in/consumeradvice.htm

Here is a link to a recent item from India Today:

http://www.intoday.in/index.php?opti...id=16&Itemid=1

Nick-H · Oct 18th, 2009, 05:29

Scarry, and useful stuff.

It's bed time, but briefly for now...

"Fresh" Peas, in small plastic bags. They have an un-natural green colou, and when you put them in water, it floats off --- much like ink. Get your peas out of a pod!

Brick dust in red chilly powder --- makes many Indians only trust the stuff they grind themselves.

PeakXV · Oct 18th, 2009, 05:45

Quote:

N.C. Khanna, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, said the synthetic milk is prepared by mixing the organic compound urea with caustic soda, cheap cooking oil, water and a common detergent. The detergent emulsifies and dissolves the oil in water and creates a frothy white solution that looks like milk.

Lovely.

I often wondered(feared) what some of those unregulated food producers might 'cook up' in order to save a few rupees in ingredients & boost margins.

goangoangone · Oct 18th, 2009, 08:40

You only have to read news reports of adulterated foods that they find. Don't think about what they don't find.

abracax · Oct 18th, 2009, 10:21

The same food safety rules apply most everywhere: keep it simple, keep it fresh. Processed food is death no matter where you are.

suricate · Oct 18th, 2009, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by abracax

The same food safety rules apply most everywhere: keep it simple, keep it fresh. Processed food is death no matter where you are.

Unfortunately, fresh food in India is not necessarily safe either!
I have already given a few examples.

In many countries, consumers know what's there in the processed food,
and can choose accordingly. Not so in India, for the most part.
The awareness is also not there amongst the populace.
Governments don't seem to care!

Oct 18th, 2009, 01:47	#1
suricate Dog's Best Friend Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Blue Planet Posts: 140	Food safety in India There are lots of threads discussing safe water in India, -- possibly because it affects your health immediately. But what about food safety in general? The effect on humans may be long-term, so short-term visitors may not need to care as much as people who live in India for a longer period (though in some cases shady food can make you sick in the short-term also). From time to time articles are published in Indian magazines and newspapers about food safety in India. It is well-known that questionable food safety standards are observed in India. Food in India is often pesticide-laced, is intentionally adulterated, toxic colouring is often used, unsafe preparation and preservation methods are followed owing to a lack of general awareness, and so on. Examples: Sweets all over India use suspicious colouring (although some approved colours are also used). Foodshop glass-cases swarming with flies is a common sight. Sweets (sandesh) in some Kolkata shops were found to contain talc. Other examples are listed in some links below. Frequently seen examples of food with toxic bright/fluorescent colours: magenta-coloured sweet yams in the veg market; other brightly coloured vegetables; packaged fried peas; some packaged Indian snacks; sweets, and so on. There is serious lack of awareness in the populace. I have seen village youths boasting of colouring vegetables themselves! Of course, there are laws to prevent food adulteration in India, but, like in many other spheres, enforcement is lax. It would be interesting to know how IM-ers try to tackle this menace. I for one try to wash pesticide residues and colours off produce, and regard coloured food items (like sweets) very suspiciously, generally trying to avoid them if I can. Can't do much about outside food (apart from ensuring reasonable cleanliness). Here are some interesting links: Some of you may already have seen the recent news item about the warning issued in India about milk-based sweets, asking people to forego eating sweets during Diwali: http://news.aol.ca/article/warning-i...sweets/721397/ This one is from the government: http://www.foodsafetyindia.nic.in/consumeradvice.htm Here is a link to a recent item from India Today: http://www.intoday.in/index.php?opti...id=16&Itemid=1

Oct 18th, 2009, 08:40	#4
goangoangone What happened? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Goa Posts: 1,955	You only have to read news reports of adulterated foods that they find. Don't think about what they don't find. __________________ GoanGoan......here

Oct 18th, 2009, 10:21	#5
abracax Mahaguru Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 709	The same food safety rules apply most everywhere: keep it simple, keep it fresh. Processed food is death no matter where you are. __________________ tbontbtitq (Shakespeare's password)

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Oct 18th, 2009, 05:29	#2
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,225	Scarry, and useful stuff. It's bed time, but briefly for now... "Fresh" Peas, in small plastic bags. They have an un-natural green colou, and when you put them in water, it floats off --- much like ink. Get your peas out of a pod! Brick dust in red chilly powder --- makes many Indians only trust the stuff they grind themselves.