The Mustard Muddle

Two years before the millennium consumers are still living on the edge because of continued adulteration of basic foods. Charu Research Assistant "VOICE" Reports on the recent mustard mystery.

Health and nutrition are as much dependent on the wholesomeness of food and its freedom from microbial and chemical contamination as on its adequacy with respect to quantity and nutritive value. In our anxiety to overcome the problem of food shortage at the national level and of under nutrition at the family levels. We had accorded priority to programs mainly aimed at augmenting food production and had neglected program's for ensuring wholesomeness of food.

This has been a shortsighted policy. It is often the poor and the underprivileged who bear the brunt of the deleterious effects of food contamination. Ill health is often the end result of twin burdens of presence of food contamination on one hand and vicious circle of poverty, ignorance and illiteracy on the other.

A clear example of this is the latest headlines in our newspaper these days. Hundreds of people rushing into hospitals with "epidemic dropsy". Disease resulting from chemical contamination of mustard oil with Argemone oil.

It must be confessed at the outset that there is a striking paucity of reliable data with regard to the extent and nature of food contamination again reflecting the lack of attention and focus on this problem. Official statistics reveal Thirty Four (34) deaths and thousand of cases with symptom of Dropsy. But thousands of people are continuing to consume contaminated oil and food stuffs on daily basis. consumer exploitation is endless in these areas.

Sale of Mustard oil of all brands has been banned across India, as cases of dropsy continue to be reported from all corners of the country.

Even after five decades of independence. Laws and regulation regarding food safety exist only on paper. It is implementation of these regulations which is defective. Responsibilities for implementation are spread over several ministries as well as among the central, state and local bodies, and there is no mechanism for their coordination.

Two years before the millennium consumers are still living on the edge because of hazards of adulterated foods. Many are ignorant of intentional or accidental adulteration around them. at all stages from

production to retail. One root cause of this is the lack o knowledge about consume rights on several aspects of foo safety and ability to understand the issues involved beyond til labels.

This demands a environment in which the basic needs are fulfilled, social we being is ensured a physiological as well as spiritual needs are met. Accordingly, new set of parameters will have to be considered for measuring the health of a community Such as public participation i decision making, the role c people to exercise collective} their responsibilities to maintain their health and to demand health as their basic right. Wit increasing urbanization industrialization and population growth, the problem will gf even worse in the years ahead unless vigorous steps are initiated and implemented.

More about Argemone seed :-

Argemone seeds resembl mustard seed but show a tail lilt protrusion on close examination Surface of Argemone seed i grainy and rough while that o mustard seed is smooth. Wha mustard seed is pressed it is yellow inside whereas Argemone seed is white.

Author is the social activist and maintains a consumer court site where you can lodge online consumer complaints for noncompliance of service or products for details visit www.consumerboard.in