GUWAHATI, June 22 � Due to increased accessibility to information, growing public awareness and enhancement of the State PFA (Prevention of Food Adulteration Act) enforcement machinery, the sale of sub-standard and adulterated food has come down considerably, but pulses, milk etc., are some of the items that still are most adulterated.
According to an official of the State health department, the number of adulteration cases has come down in Assam in the last decade. From 2000 to 2009 in the State, a total of 2005 samples of edible oil, fats and vanaspati were drawn and 127 samples were found adulterated, the adulteration percentage being 6.33. In the same period, a total of 3416 samples of cereal, cereal products and pulses were collected and 242 samples were found adulterated, the percentage being 7.08. Out of the 873 milk samples drawn, 184 samples were found adulterated, the percentage being 21.07.
The percentage of adulteration in bakery products was 3.90, adulteration in fruit and vegetable products was 9.41, and in infant milk substitutes the percentage of adulteration was 3.03. In total, 12,212 samples of different food items were drawn in the last ten years and 970 samples were found adulterated and prosecution launched in different courts. The percentage of adulteration in the decade stood at 7.94.
The official said that majority of the pulses samples had colour which is prohibited under the PFA. The presence of colour was detected in pulses like moong, masoor and arhar.
�The law alone is not sufficient to deal with the evil of adulteration. Public awareness in this regard is a must,� said the official adding that one of the reasons for adulteration coming down in the State was that the consumers were becoming conscious and selective while buying. Packed food with details as required under the law has made this selection easier.
However, the remote areas in the State where information dissemination is inadequate, people are still victims of adulteration or suffer from food poisoning on account of ignorance. The official pointed out that food poisoning on account of consumption of soaked gram was a result of ignorance.
It needs to be mentioned here that with several cases of food poisoning on account of consumption of soaked gram reported from rural Assam, the food inspector branch, Kamrup district on its own initiative had launched an awareness drive, distributing leaflets to the people telling them how to safely consume soaked gram.
The official said that with the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 which is going to be fully enforced in a short time, the entire range of concerns emerging with the changing food concepts would be addressed.
