Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Abstract

Food adulteration

Prakash Kondekar

Our body requires food in the form of  carbohydrates, proteins, fats, enzymes, vitamins and minerals for a healthy growth. However, our body cannot produce all these nutrients. Hence, food is the only source to obtain these nutrients in an adequate quantity.Some of the traders and Food Business Operators,are so greedy that at the cost of public health they use the inferior quality material so as to gain more profit. When some of the food product fails to meet the legal standards,then it can be said to be  adulteration.It is  is an addition of another substance to a food item in order to increase the quantity of the food item in raw form or prepared form, which may result in the loss of actual quality of food item. These substances may be either available food items or non-food items. Among meat and meat products some of the items used to adulterate are water or ice or carcasses of animals other than the animal meant to be consumed. In India,an Old enactment of Prevetion of Food Aulteration 1954,have been replaced by Food Safety and Standards Act 2006,started implementation in August 2011. Adulteration can be through,Poisonous or deleterious substances,Filth and foreign matter of adulteration, Economic-adulteration, Microbiological contamination and adulteration of food.