Healthy food is a fad, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic when the general public became extraordinarily conscious of their food choices. It is a positive shift - people are demanding quality, hygiene, and health in their food. It has also made the food industry and the authorities more vigilant. Many food brands have mushroomed in the last few years offering healthier options of packaged foods and beverages.
Does this mean we are in the best of times with our food? Is it all signalling a well-wishing food market? That is where we ought to be cautious.
Many brands have taken the role of a self-prescribed drug, dietician, or doctor of sorts. But it is too good to be true. Be it the ready-to-eats, energy bars and drinks, instant mixes, vitamin water, pro-biotic desserts, and whatnot, there is so much more than what we see and hear.
While people have become more quality and health conscious, it is also true that the number of cases reported of food adulteration from across India has increased. It could also be an indication of the improved surveillance – that we are spotting the bad more now. But contaminated food leaves fewer choices to remedy, as its consequences would range from poisoning, allergies, irrevocable diseases, and even fatality.
Consumption of adulterated food has both immediate and gradual consequences. Slow poisoning is as bad as the immediate consequences and sometimes more elusive. Slow poisoning can affect heart illness, stroke, or cancer over a period of time and would go unnoticed in the short run. This is where the so-called healthy food of today is posing a menace. To lend them a long shelf life, ready-to-eat ease, or energy boost attributes, they are laced with preservatives and chemicals.
Take the case of packaged cereals, breads, cakes, and cookies which are a significant part of our daily diet. How do you think biscuits get their perfect palette colours and desirous texture? They contain a high amount of Acrylamide chemical which gives it the colour and display that attract buyers. Excess intake of Acrylamide will eventually cause cancer.
Another distinct feature of the current food products is its “Ease of Cooking” which entices buyers with catchy phrases like Ready-to-Cook, Instant Mix, or Heat-and-Serve. But the truth behind this ease will make it difficult to stomach. The more convenient your food preparation is, the more contaminated it is.
Several of the packaged food products which save you time and satisfy your cravings simultaneously are made possible by the addition of external agents that help to preserve the food and at the same time make it look appetizing. Food stabilizers like Pectin, Lecithin, and Carrageenan are used extensively in several easy-to-cook packed products. Another example is the common microwave popcorn, a comfort food which quietly accompanies us at movies and at home. Some of these products contain Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) which are added to prevent oil in popcorn from seeping through the bags. PFCs on heating at high temperatures will break down into chemicals that cause cancer. Deep-fried snacks with high amounts of saturated fat and trans-fat with high amounts of salt for preservation is a stroke or cancer in itself.
Water is added to milk to increase its volume, while substances like urea, detergent, starch, and formalin are added to preserve or alter its consistency. Spices such as turmeric, red chilli powder, and black pepper are often adulterated with artificial colours, lead chromate, sawdust, or other cheaper substances. Edible oils like mustard oil and olive oil are adulterated with cheaper oils, such as palm oil or argemone oil, which can be harmful to health. Pulses and cereals may be mixed with stones, sand, or coloured seeds to increase weight, while grains like rice and wheat may be mixed with cheaper grains or husk. Honey is spiked with added sugar from sugar cane, corn, and rice. Tea is altered with used tea leaves, coloured leaves, or artificial dyes to enhance appearance or weight. Fruits and Vegetables are injected with chemicals.
In the recipes passed down by our ancestors complementing our geography and weather conditions lie the answer to making the right choice. Be it our traditional pickles which are probiotic, turmeric and cardamom which have antioxidant properties, cumin that lowers blood sugar, or coriander seeds that have antifungal effects.
The consequences of food adulteration can range from mild illnesses to severe health complications and death, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the regulatory body responsible for ensuring food safety and combating food adulteration in India. The government has been active in taking measures to contain adulteration with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the archaic Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and strengthened the monitoring of the food industry. But the modern adulteration techniques are highly subtle and even “scientific” in its own twisted ways to escape the surveillance radar.
Educated choices are important when it comes to buying and consuming food. The way-out is to prioritise home food, and for the occasional indulgence look around for products which are Air-fried, Vacuum-fried, No-Palm oil, or Transfat-free (<0.5 g) among other healthy options.
Paul Mathews is the CEO of Southside Habits and Koshy Mathew is the Head-Parternships of Southside Habits.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
