Adulteration in food is normally present in
its most crude form, prohibited substances are either added or
partly or wholly substituted. In India
normally the contamination/adulteration in food is done either for financial
gain or due to carelessness and lack in proper hygienic condition of
processing, storing, transportation and marketing. This ultimately results that
the consumer is either cheated or often become victim of diseases. Such types
of adulteration are quite common in developing countries or backward countries.
However, adequate precautions taken by the consumer at the time of purchase of
such produce can make him alert to avoid procurement of such food. It is
equally important for the consumer to know the common adulterants and their
effect on health.
Injurious Adulterants/Contaminants in Foods
and their Health Effects
|
S.No
|
Adulterant
|
Foods Commonly Involved
|
Diseases or Health Effects
|
|
|
Adulterants in food
|
|
|
|
1
|
Argemone seeds
Argemone oil
|
Mustard seeds
Edible oils and fats
|
Epidemic dropsy,
Glaucoma,
Cardiac arrest
|
|
2
|
Artificially coloured foreign seeds
|
As a substitute for cumin seed,
Poppy seed, black pepper
|
Injurious to health
|
|
3
|
Foreign leaves or exhausted tea leaves, saw
dust artificially coloured
|
Tea
|
Injurious to health, cancer
|
|
4
|
TCP
|
Oils
|
Paralysis
|
|
5
|
Rancid oil
|
Oils
|
Destroys vitamin A and E
|
|
6
|
Sand, marble chips, stones, filth
|
Food grains, pulses etc.
|
Damage digestive tract
|
|
7
|
Lathyrus sativus
|
Khesari dal alone or
Mixed in other pulses
|
Lathyrism (crippling spastic paraplegia)
|
|
|
Chemical Contamination
|
|
|
|
8
|
Mineral oil (white oil, petroleum fractions)
|
Edible oils and fats,
Black pepper
|
Cancer
|
|
9
|
Lead
chromate
|
Turmeric whole and powdered, mixed spices
|
Anemia, abortion, paralysis, brain damage
|
|
10
|
Methanol
|
Alcoholic liquors
|
Blurred vision, blindness, death
|
|
11
|
Arsenic
|
Fruits such as apples sprayed over with lead
arsenate
|
Dizziness, chills, cramps, paralysis, death
|
|
12
|
Barium
|
Foods contaminated by rat poisons
(Barium carbonate)
|
Violent peristalisis, arterial hypertension,
muscular twitching, convulsions, cardiac disturbances
|
|
13
|
Cadmium
|
Fruit juices, soft drinks, etc. in contact
with cadmium plated vessels or equipment. Cadmium contaminated water and
shell-fish
|
‘Itai-itai (ouch-ouch) disease, Increased salivation, acute gastritis,
liver and kidney damage, prostrate cancer
|
|
14
|
Cobalt
|
Water, liquors
|
Cardiac insufficiency and mycocardial
failure
|
|
15
|
Lead
|
Water, natural and processed food
|
Lead poisoning (foot-drop, insomnia, anemia,
constipation, mental retardation, brain damage)
|
|
16
|
Copper
|
Food
|
Vomiting, diarrhoea
|
|
17
|
Tin
|
Food
|
Colic, vomiting
|
|
18
|
Zinc
|
Food
|
Colic, vomiting
|
|
19
|
Mercury
|
Mercury fungicide treated seed grains or
mercury contaminated fish
|
Brain damage, paralysis, death
|
|
NOTE : Safe limits have been prescribed for
above metals in different food. Continuous use of food contaminated with
these metals beyond safe limits may cause these diseases
|
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