Overview
To ensure food safety and combat adulteration, the Karnataka health ministry has introduced food safety test kits at 10 locations across Bengaluru. These kits enable consumers to quickly check if items like paneer, fish, and raw food materials contain harmful additives using a simple tincture test.
Simple Tests for Easy Adulteration Detection
At any of the 10 designated kiosks in Bengaluru, consumers can approach a food safety officer to test food items they suspect of being adulterated. The kits aim to raise public awareness and allow individuals to check the purity of food items like pulses, spices, fruits, sugar, dairy, and eggs. They can also detect harmful chemicals such as formalin in fish. However, the kits cannot test cooked food or meat, which requires analysis in specialized laboratories.
Cracking Down on Harmful Additives
Along with the test kits, the Karnataka Food Safety Authority actively inspects food items for harmful food colouring substances. They test snacks like cotton candy, as well as cooked dishes like gobi manchurian, kebabs, and tea, for illegal additives. Recent tests have revealed excessive levels of artificial colourants, including Allura Red, Sunset Yellow FCF, Ponceau 4R, Tartrazine, and Carmoisine. The authorities are taking strong action against the use of prohibited substances, excessive pesticide residues, and other forms of food adulteration in the market.
Growing Awareness and Positive Impact
Since the soft launch of the program a few months ago, the authorities have conducted over 1,400 walk-in tests using the kits. Karnataka’s health minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao, emphasized that the initiative aims to promote healthy eating habits and tackle food adulteration directly. “These kits will raise public awareness and keep people vigilant,” he said in an interview with News18.
Food Safety Commissioner Srinivas K. pointed out that many people remain unaware of the health risks associated with food adulteration. He encouraged consumers to use the kits for simple tests at home and report any suspicious results to the health department.
What’s Inside the Test Kits?
The “magic” kits contain chemical solutions, powders, paper strips (such as red litmus and turmeric papers), and tools like a lactometer and magnets, all designed to help identify adulteration in various food products. Available at kiosks set up in food courts within 10 selected malls in Bengaluru, these kits allow shoppers to request a quick test to evaluate the quality of essential food items.
The health ministry has trained staff to conduct the tests, with one member of each mall’s management team assisting in the process. To date, they have educated around 15,000 individuals on how to use the kits. If any food sample tests positive for additives, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will be alerted, and the authorities will collect samples from the source for further investigation and corrective action.
This initiative showcases Karnataka’s commitment to improving food safety standards and ensuring the well-being of its residents.
Source: News18