Assam: Sample testing detects aggravated food adulteration

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The detection of ‘low-quality’ and ‘unsafe for consumption’ food items is on the rise in Assam. This speaks volumes about the state of food adulteration in the state. To cap it all, the authorities concerned continue to fall short of taking adequate measures to check the menace.

The responsibility of collecting food samples, checking adulteration and bringing awareness among the consumers lies with the Commissionerate of Food and Drugs Administration, Assam.

According to official data, in 2023-24 the Commissionerate detected 91 ‘low-quality’ and 35 ‘unsafe to consume’ foods from the samples collected and tested. In 2024-25, the number of ‘low-quality’ food samples increased to 148 and that of ‘unsafe to consume’ to 67. 

Sources in the department agreed that they found the use of chemicals beyond permissible limits in fruits, paneer, milk, vegetables, fish, etc.

Generally unscrupulous traders use melamine, starch flour, glucose water, etc., in milk; benzoyl peroxide in wheat; rice syrup and sugar in honey; and vegetable oils and fatty acids in butter. The use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits and the use of formalin in fish are very common.

Of late, adulteration of eggs has also come to the fore in some states. There are allegations of the use of substances containing carcinogenic elements in eggs. The affected states have started collection of egg samples for testing. Complaints regarding adulterated eggs have come to the fore in Assam as well. Assam imports around 35 lakh eggs from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra daily. Nobody knows as to how the authorities keep an eye on the quality of the imported eggs through random checking. There is yet another allegation that the bakeries use low-standard eggs in making their products. According to experts, regular sampling and laboratory testing of bakery products, especially egg-based ones, are essential to rule out contamination.  

A few days back, the District Commissioner of Nagaon conducted a sudden inspection in the markets and found serious lapses in food safety across multiple markets and sweet-making units. He found unhygienic and unsafe environments in many sweet-making units. It’s a common scenario in sweet-making units almost all over the state.

The department is to ensure food businesses’ compliance with safety standards, collect and test samples, and conduct awareness drives. The department does not conduct raids regularly. The lack of continuity in raids leads to the making of foods in unhygienic environments, besides rampant adulteration of foods from footpaths to restaurants.

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