Friday, 25 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
With the tremendous rise in demand and consumption of packaged and canned snacks and sweets during the festive season in recent years, it is crucial for consumers to focus not just on adulteration in loose products, but also on carefully reading the labels of packaged foods. Though traditional sweets and snacks are a major part of Deepawali celebration, families increasingly opt for convenience due to busy schedules and buy packaged and canned products.
The deputy commissioner of the Uttarakhand Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) GC Kandwal said that the large-scale production of sweets and snacks often leads to shortcuts in quality control during festivals. Adulteration of loose products, such as the use of cheaper ingredients like synthetic milk, Paneer or substandard oils, has long been a concern. However, packaged and canned items also pose risks, as they may contain preservatives, artificial colours and unhealthful additives. Moreover, many products have excessive amounts of sugar and trans fats to enhance taste and shelf life, which can be harmful, especially for those with underlying health issues. This is why consumers should also read labels before buying any edible, he said. “Reading labels becomes important because it gives consumers insight into the product’s ingredients, nutritional content and expiry date, helping them make informed choices. It might also contain ingredients that somebody is allergic to. During festivals, when sweets and snacks are consumed in abundance, overlooking these details can lead to health problems such as food poisoning, allergies or long term lifestyle diseases,” Kandwal said.
He also urged people to store sweets under stated conditions and prefer buying sweets in smaller quantities so that they are consumed before expiry date. One should avoid buying sweets with vibrant colour as they may contain colourants above permitted level. “I also recommend people to not buy sweets in bulk without checking the boxes as every sweet requires a certain set of temperature and excessive temperature fluctuations can spoil them. One should check which sweets they are buying and then ensure that they are carried or stored accordingly,” he added.
According to the secretary of the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS) Brij Mohan Sharma, people should also conduct basic adulteration tests at home to ensure fitness of ingredients like milk, Paneer, Mawa and other products. “There are easy tests that can easily find out adulteration in Mawa, Paneer, ghee and others. One can just rub Mawa between fingers and if it feels dry and not sticky like ghee, it is adulterated. Another method is to put some Mawa into warm water, add a little sugar and two drops of lemon juice. If it turns pink then it indicates the presence of artificial fat. To check adulteration in Paneer, boil Paneer and add a pinch of crushed Chana dal. If it turns pink, it indicates the presence of harmful chemicals like detergent or urea,” he said.
The FDA deputy commissioner also said that one can find several such methods on the website of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). One can also download the Food Safety Connect app to report such violations or call at the toll free number 18001804246.
