1. the food you buy safe to eat
By: manjinder singh dhillon govt food inspector
The ones who decided to make sure Kshama Sitwala: Took a box of powdered cereal to Bajaj Labs at SNDT, Juhu,
to check its nutritive value. I wanted to check if it really had the ingredients it claimed to contain. Jai Prakash Singh:
Took a sample of the milk delivered at home for testing to Bajaj Labs, SNDT, Juhu. I was suspicious of the milk I was
getting at home. It used to taste watery. After reading about cases of adulteration, I decided to check for myself. It
turned out to be adulterated. An entire housing society in Vasant Vihar at Thane: decided to get their water tested
after they dug a bore well. We were worried that the well water may contain heavy metals like mercury, lead or arsenic.
The cost of the test - Rs 1,200 - was shared between 56 families, said the society chairman. The water was found to be
potable. Shalini Ghodke: Tested wheat flour (atta) at her college laboratory. Dr Varsha Vadera: A resident of Surya
Apartments, Warden Road, urged her fellow residents to get the building water tested. The water smelled bad and was
muddy at times. Most of us use the well water for flushing, bathing and brushing. But sometimes while bathing or
brushing, we tend to swallow the water. Thats why we decided to get it tested. The water turned out to be contaminated
and the building has now increased chlorination levels. How to test food at home Chilli powder: Sieve it. If it contains
brick powder, it will remain in the sieve.
Black pepper: Put the black pepper pods in water. If papaya seeds have been mixed in them, those seeds will float
Silver foil on your mithai: Rub between your fingers. If it is really silver, it will disintegrate when rubbed. If it is tin or
aluminium, it will turn into a ball.
Cooked food: If your pav bhaji leaves your fingers red, it has colour added to it, rather than tomato
Tea: Put some tea powder on a wet tissue. Pink or red spots on tissue show added colour Nutritionists say
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware about food adulteration. Earlier there was only Bajaj Labs that catered to
consumers who wanted to get food tested. Now more laboratories are opening up. People come to me with tablets,
protein powders and snacks for testing. A customer once came to me with a fat absorbing powder given by a health
clinic. We tested it and found it to be nothing but Isabgol.
Naini Setalvad, dietician and nutritionist
Address: 3rd Floor, Jal Darshan building, Opp Priyadarshini Park, Napeansea Road.
Timings: Monday, till 2 pm.
After the Sudan-I episode, people have become more aware. Many people ask me how they can find out if the masalas
and spices they use are carcinogenic or adulterated. But sometimes people cannot afford the laboratory costs. So I give
them some home tests.
Mrunal Shirodkar, nutritionist, Tata Memorial Hospital