Why Awareness Against Food Adulteration The Need Of The Hour In India?

Today not even a single food product is spared from adulterants. Right from urea in milk, lead chromate in fruits and vegetables, pesticides in cold drinks, artificial colors in sweets, juices, jams, ketchup, and confectioneries, animal fat in vegetarian food to wax in cheese, substandard flour, papaya seeds in pepper, the list of adulterants just goes on. These adulterants hazardously affect our health causing various diseases. The common people at large are still not aware about the Menace of Adulteration.

In spite of amendments to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, food adulteration in India has only increased to an alarming level. Low penalty of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for food fraud and erring manufacturers and traders being hardly put behind bars have only aided to the booming industry of food adulteration. If the menace is not controlled now, it would give birth to an unhealthier tomorrow with diseases ruling the roost! Lack of consumer awareness and their ignorance about PFA standards have only made things worse. Awareness about Food Adulteration is thus the need of the hour in India.