Thiruvananthapuram, July 29 (BPNS)
Amid reports of the presence of adulterated curry powders in the market, the state food safety department has decided to beef up its inspections. Entrusting the department’s special squads to conduct such inspections in each district, health minister Veena George said that stringent punishments await those who carry out adulteration. Meanwhile, the All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) is of the stance that before pointing fingers at curry powder makers, the Union and state governments should first sensitize the farmers not to use pesticides in their produce.
“The report that curry powders being sold in the market have high pesticide residue is serious. It’s a public health issue. There are also complaints of adulteration in some of the curry powders/masalas being sold in the market. That’s why a special inspection drive to identify and expose them has been launched,” said an officer of the Commissionerate of Food Safety, Kerala.
At the same time, the minister said that, upon finding an inedible curry powder in a batch during the testing, it will be made sure that the entire products belonging to that batch will get withdrawn from the market.
“Also, notices will be served to manufacturers and sellers. Mobile testing labs will also be pressed to service to find the adulteration. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has laid down a standard for curry powder. Any variations in the same will not be allowed,” said Veena.
According to AISEF, the problem lies with the authorities, as neither the national or state level authorities had come out with a common standard to be followed in declaring a product safe or unsafe. They also added that it will be an arduous task to procure quality products, that are pesticide-free ones, from the farmers as they are yet to follow good farming practices due to various reasons.
As per Food Safety and Standards (food products standards and food additives) Regulations, 2011, curry powder means the powder obtained from grinding clean, dried, and sound spices belonging to the group of aromatic herbs and seeds. The material may contain added starch and edible common salt. The proportion of spices used in the preparation of curry powder shall be not less than 85.0 percent by weight. The powder shall be free from dirt, mold growth, and insect infestation. It shall be free from any added coloring matter and preservatives other than edible common salt. It also laid down standards regarding moisture, volatile oil, edible common salt, crude fiber, lead, and others.
