Q. Read the following newspaper report, which was published in Kathmandu, Nepal, in October 1998.
Food products are widely adulterated!
Do you go for bright colors when choosing vegetables and sweets? If yes, think twice. Researchers at the central food investigation center (CFIC) warn that attractive sweets, vegetables, and other food products may cost you your health. Reason: Farmers spray pesticides to save vegetables from decaying and use colors to make food products look bright. According to researchers at CFIC, powdered brick is mixed with chili powder, sawdust in cumin, coriander powders, and hazardous powders in turmeric.
Milk samples tested in the capital are found to be highly adulterated and of low quality. Especially milk is found to be heavily thinned with water and powdered milk added liberally to thicken it. A CFIC spokesman says that the ‘pasteurised milk’ available in the market is often not pasteurised. If Nepali people did not have the practice of not boiling their milk, gastroenteritis would have reached epidemic proportions. Many dairies are in court for selling low-quality milk. In the CFIC sample test of food products, milk is usually the second most commonly adulterated item.
Vanaspati ghee is also found to be heavily adulterated in the country. Researchers believe there is a need to test vanaspati ghee in the same way that edible oil is being tested at present. It is expected that a standard for vanaspati ghee will be introduced soon.
Likewise, local noodles may be adulterated with inedible products: the kind of metallic yellow used can activates cancer. One should eat only plain and colorless noodles.
The food act is mostly applied in the capital, although it could be implemented in 36 districts, including the Terai where adulteration is a serious problem. CFIC has to go to the district administrative office to file a case if a food product is found to be defective and this slows down the process of prosecuting offenders.
(i) What disease can be caused by drinking unpasteurised milk?
(ii) Fortunately, few Nepalese people do not get this disease. Why?