While government has promised action after one person died and more than two hundred others were taken ill in east Delhi on Tuesday, the bigger malaise of food adulteration remains a concern
While government has promised action after one person died and more than two hundred others were taken ill in east Delhi on Tuesday, the bigger malaise of food adulteration remains a concern
The death of a 58-year-old man due to food poisoning after he ate articles prepared from buckwheat flour (kuttu atta) in east Delhi has pointed towards the larger issue of food adulteration. At least 222 people were hospitalised Tuesday after consuming similar food. 
Bad taste:u00a0 Patients admitted after consuming buckwheat flour articles
at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in east Delhi. (Inset Family members of
Prabu Lal who died because of food poisoning at the same hospital on
Wednesday. Pics/Imtiyaz Khan
Parabhu Lal, a Municipal Corporation of Delhi employee, died at the Lal Bahdur Hospital Wednesday morning during treatment, a senior police officer said.
Delhi Police have arrested Nand Kishore, the owner of Nandu Masala Mill of Mandawali area, and detained a few others over the incident, the official said.
Most of the victims ate buckwheat flour items Monday when breaking the day-long fast observed as part of Navratri celebrations. They bought the flour, which was manufactured at the mill in Mandawali in east Delhi, from local shops.
The problem is that thousands of manufacturing units are spread all across the national capital region that are churning out adulterated forms of cereals, spices and even packaged goods. "They not only prepare adulterated items, but also indulge in faking brands. Adulteration is of two typesu00a0- one is faking items supplied by some established names and other, the main culprit of this business is the items which are not sold as packaged," said, informed sources. 
Rajendra Kumar, Health Secretary of Delhi Government said: "It is a serious issue and government is keeping a tab on every development. We have increased surveillance and are also trying to develop a strong mechanism to stop this. Whenever, especially during the festival time when more cases come to light, our officials take samples from shops, they are tested for quality and if anything is found adulterated, action is taken against them," he said.
However, he said that he was not aware of manufacturing units working from National Capital Region (NCR) town.
"The government has ordered for a post mortem of the deceased in the kuttu atta case," Delhi Health Minister AK Walia said. The government has already asked Director, Prevention of Food Adulteration to conduct an inquiry.
"The department has been instructed to lift samples in large numbers to enable it to find out the modus operandi of the culprits," added Walia "The suppliers target small shopkeepers that too in not so upmarket areas and supply the items at lower rates. The shopkeepers also get lured as they get a bigger profit margin.
In this whole chain the loser ultimately is the consumer who ends up with various diseases," said Prem Kumar Arora, Chairman Delhi Kirana Committee.u00a0
The failure of the government can be gauged from the fact that in a city like Delhi where adulteration is rampant the Delhi government health department collected only three thousand samples all across the city in 2009-10 which in 2010-2011 went up to three thousand five hundred.
However, Arora says, there is a bigger problem before the government. "The city government can act within the city. If there are some units in other states the manufacturer can get away," he said.
A senior Delhi government official said: "During 2009-10, adulteration was found in 133 samples, 22 were found to be misbranded whereas in 109 cases the responsible persons were convicted. During 2010-11 adulteration was found in 111 cases, 19 were found to be misbranded and in 100 cases the responsible persons were convicted."
However, informed sources say, the food inspectors are either bribed or work as "collection agents" as part of the bigger racket which includes all the key officials in the department and they do not take action against either the shopkeepers or the manufacturing units.
"Every day, we are eating vegetables and fruits which are injected with many harmful chemicals, but we still can't stop them from buying such products. They are among the essential food items that are needed for human survival," said Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Max Hospital. The doctors also point out the harmful chemicals that are being used in the food which affects our liver and kidney in the future.
"Mirchi powder is sometimes mixed with red brick powder by the manufacturers. Adulteration is being done at every level. It is very important to identify them at the lowest level.u00a0 We should educate farmers at their level so that they remain aware about the hazardous affects," said Dr Nidhi Sarin, Clinical Nutritionist, Fortis La femme.
Salt is the classic preservative, but is seldom classified as an adulterant. Salicylic, benzoic, and boric acids, and their sodium salts, formaldehyde, ammonium fluoride, sulphurous acid and its salts are among the principal preservatives. Many of these appear to be innocuous, but there is danger that the continued use of food preserved by these agents may be injurious. Some preservatives have been conclusively shown to be injurious when used for long periods.
Coal-tar colours are employed a great deal, pickles and canned vegetables are sometimes coloured green with copper salts; butter is made more yellow by anatta; turmeric is used in mustard and some cereal preparations. Apples are the basis for many jellies, which are coloured so as to simulate finer ones.
But, most of the doctors feel that adulteration is majorly being promoted by the Government itself by not taking enough stringent actions against the culprits. (with inputs from Astha Saxena and Atul Krishan)
CM Promises action
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit yesterday promised strict punitive action against those involved in production and sale of contaminated buckwheat which led to hospitalisation of around 250 people who consumed it. "We will take strict action against those involved in it.
The mill from where the buck wheat had come has been sealed and the owner has been arrested," Dikshit said here. Prabu Lal, a 58-year-old MCD employee, who was among around 250 people admitted in various city hospitals, died. Health Minister A K Walia said Lal was suffering from hypertension and the real cause of his death would be known only after the postmortem report.
Lal, a resident of Trilokpuri was admitted to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in east Delhi after he complained of diarrhoea and dizziness after consuming food items prepared from contaminated buckwheat. It all started at 7 am yesterday when patients complaining of vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhoea and dizziness started pouring in at different hospitals including Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and Dr Hedgewar Hospital.
The Delhi Police have registered 14 separates FIRs at fourteen Police stations under section 272(sale of noxious food or drink), 273 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of IPC in connection with selling adulterated Kuttu's flour. The Police also have arrested 11 persons in this connection who were allegedly selling adulterated flour. According to the police, cases have been registered in the police stations ofu00a0 East and North East district.
Elementary!
A senior Delhi government official told MiD DAY that government had met three months back with the representatives of Association of Private Detectives and Investigators (APDI) to check the adulteration in the city. "However, the talks are on the initial stage and a final decision or the modalities have not been worked out," said the official.
Stricteru00a0law coming
The Delhi government is all set to replace the archaic Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act with the Union Food Safety and Standards Act, passed by the Parliament in 2006. The new Act provides for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh for those involved in such illegal activities.
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