Every 4th food sample found adulterated

Chandigarh, February 12

Every fourth sample of food and beverage items collected by the Health Department has been found adulterated.

According to a report of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 9,936 samples under 17 categories of food and beverages were collected during 2015 and 2,806 of these were found adulterated, putting the average adulteration rate at 28.2%.

Samples of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, sweets and confectionary items, milk and milk products and processed food items were taken for testing.

The adulteration rate was the highest in case of milk. The FDA collected 1,604 samples of milk and out of those 687 were found adulterated (around 43 per cent). In milk products, including ghee, butter, ice-cream, etc, adulteration was around 40 per cent.

Adulteration was also quite high in sweets. Of 937 such samples, 15 per cent were found adulterated. In non-alcoholic beverages, the adulteration was around 32.5 per cent. Of the 594 samples of processed food, including jam, dates, 18.5 per cent were found adulterated.

Dr Narsh, Nodal Officer, Food Safety, Punjab, said the number was high because samples of only those items were taken about which they had information. — TNS