IJFANS International Journal of Food and Nutritional Sciences

ISSN PRINT 2319 1775 Online 2320-7876

FOOD ADULTERATION: A SERIOUS HEALTH THREAT TO HUMAN KIND

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Rajpal Tyagia, Anuj Maurya

Abstract

Food is essential for the sustenance of life. We all eat food and gain energy for different metabolic activities. All living organisms need food for growth, work, repair, and maintaining life processes. There are different types of food available today in the market, and on a daily basis, we all depend on various food sources, including vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, legumes, etc. As we buy fresh veggies and other groceries, we might come across small pebbles in cereals and grains, darkly stained vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, fruits, dark red meat, and a lot more. Adulteration or contamination of natural food products is one of the major challenges in today’s society. Despite various actions and penalties, the practice of adding adulterants or the process of contaminating food or adding to food components is a common phenomenon in developing countries. Adulterants are substances or poor-quality products added to food items for economic and technical benefits. The addition of these adulterants reduces the value of nutrients in food and also contaminates the food, which is not fit for consumption. These adulterants can be available in all food products which we consume daily, including dairy products, cereals, pulses, grains, meat, vegetables, fruits, oils, beverages, etc. Adulteration is being done deliberately like adding certain chemicals for faster ripening of fruits, mixing decomposed fruits and vegetables with the good ones, adding certain natural and chemical dyes to attract consumers, and cheaper and inferior substances added wholly or partially with the good ones to increase the weight or nature of the product. Adulteration is an illegal practice of adding raw and other cheaper ingredients to excellent quality products to increase the quantity. Having this adulterated food is highly toxic and leads to several health issues, including certain nutrition deficiency diseases, kidney disorders, and failure of an individual’s organ systems, including the heart, kidney, and liver.

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