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The menace of Food Adulteration
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Context
India continues to face serious challenges related to food adulteration and poor nutrition, with rising concerns over public health, food safety enforcement, and global reputation—especially after recent international bans on Indian spice exports due to contamination.
Nutrition and Health Challenges
- Poor Nutritional Outcomes in Children: NFHS-5 Data Highlights – As per NFHS-5 (2019–21), stunting affects 5%, wasting 19.3%, and underweight prevalence is 32.1% in children under five, reflecting persistent nutritional deprivation.
- Policy Influences Beyond Health: Political vs Nutritional Priorities – Government food programs like mid-day meals are often shaped more by social and political narratives than by actual health or dietary needs.
- Widespread Public Apathy: Neglect of Adulteration Issues – Despite long-standing issues such as milk adulteration, there is limited public outrage, indicating normalisation of food safety violations.
Scale and Types of Adulteration
- Persistent Milk Adulteration: Survey Evidence – As per a 2011 national survey, 70% of milk samples were found adulterated, with water, salt, detergents, and glucose being major contaminants.
- Adulteration of Everyday Foods: Fake Paneer and Contaminated Fruits – Items like paneer, watermelon, and spices are increasingly adulterated with substances like starch, synthetic milk, detergents, raising acute health risks.
- Oil and Spices: High-Risk Categories: Cancer-Linked Additives and Bans – Edible oils are adulterated with argemone and rice bran oil; ethylene oxide in spices led to bans by Hong Kong and EU, tarnishing India's culinary exports and soft power.
Institutional Response and Gaps
- FSSAI Measures and Limitations: Enforcement and Consumer Awareness – Though FSSAI conducts raids and cancels licences, the burden is shifted to individual vigilance, which is ineffective for the poor and uneducated.
- Structural and Capacity Issues: Inadequate State Infrastructure – Many states lack proper enforcement mechanisms, calling for better food monitoring infrastructure and harmonised national standards.
- Need for Systemic Reform: Food Literacy and Safe Practices – There is an urgent need for training producers, better food processing, and redefining permissible chemical levels, alongside promoting food literacy for long-term impact.
Practice Question:
Q. India’s struggle with food adulteration reflects deep structural issues in its food governance ecosystem. Critically examine the link between food safety, public health, and regulatory capacity in India. Suggest long-term solutions for ensuring food security beyond nutrition.
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