Introduction

The health department, Karnataka is set to introduce food testing kits in two malls in Bengaluru as part of its initiative to combat food adulteration. Food Safety Commissioner Srinivas K. informed TOI that these “magic boxes” will be made available to the public next week. While the specific mall locations have yet to be determined, the initial tive aims to empower consumers to test their food for safety. Additionally, 100 rapid test kits are being procured for food safety officers to use across other malls in the state.

Report

The food safety magic box, authorized by the FSSAI, is capable of detecting adulteration in seven categories: milk, fats, sweeteners, grains, fruits, vegetables, salt, spices, and beverages. Each box contains chemical solutions, powders, paper strips (such as red litmus and turmeric paper), and tools like a lactometer and magnet.

Similar Incidents

During the monthly inspections for food adulteration in August, officials found that 12 out of 235 cake samples tested contained colorants exceeding permissible limits. These samples were found to have excessive amounts of artificial pigments, including Allura Red, Sunset Yellow FCF, Ponceau 4R, Tartrazine, and Carmoisine. Among 221 paneer samples and 65 khoya samples tested, only one of each was found to be adulterated. In September, 142 food samples were analyzed at Karnataka railway stations, and tests were also conducted on samples from 35 hotels managed by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation. Results are currently pending.

Source: The Times of India