Menace Of Adulteration
CONSUMERS being duped either in measures and weight or through adulteration of the many
food items including spices is no big news. Health hazard is another facet. This is so
because of the widespread cases of adulteration of food. The main reason why the traders
and manufacturers go scot free is because of the lax monitoring activities by the
concerned agencies and also because of the lack of adequate awareness among the general
consumers. Adulteration of edibles with toxic chemicals or similar looking substance is a
big health hazard about which most of the consumers are unaware. This issue often comes
into limelight but except for making commitments on the spur of the moment, follow up
actions are always missing. Though there are agencies to check the sale and distribution
of spurious food items, medicines and other such goods, action against the culprits are a
far cry. As it is the duty of the government to see that adulteration of goods especially
food items has to be checked and brought under the pruview of the law of the land, a
Consumers' Protection Council was constituted in 1999 but, unfortunately, it has not made
much headway. Neither has it gone ahead formulating strategies to nab those who make
illegal earning but even flout the basic requirements of maintaining the purity of the
food and other items as specified. The paradox is that even the educated people fall prey
to adulterated goods which is quite regrettable. If this is the case, the case of the
rural people is more exasperating. Drives against adulterers must not be confined in the
urban centres only but to the rural areas also. However, it is unfortunate that the
monitoring aspect and awareness raising programmes are lacking even in the cities so one
just wonders as to how the consumers are suffering by the consumption of food and other
items that are a hazard to health. It is overdue that the consumers' forum and the
government agency swing into action to bring the culprits to book. The toxic and inedible
chemical and other substances mixed with the food items and even medicines must be checked
as their consumption results in many diseases and thereby the loss of manpower hours and
the increase in expenses in medication. With the availability of sophisticated equipment
and tools in hand, there is no reason why adulteration of practically everything cannot be
checked. It is commitment and the manpower that is necessary so steps should be taken
urgently in this direction.
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