Despite the efforts of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and regulatory authorities, crackdowns have revealed serious adulteration in staple food products like tea powder, coffee, sugar, spices, oils, milk, honey, ice cream and food grains. These products, which have reportedly been sold openly in markets across the city, have been seized by authorities who believe that their efforts are only ‘the tip of the iceberg’. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Hyderbad ranked first in the country for food adulteration cases – where a whopping 246 cases out of the total 291 nationwide, were reported.
The raids being conducted have led to officials seizing packets of ‘Red Label’ tea powder and Everest brand spices from Nagaram. These surprise checks also led the authorities to learn about the counterfeit brands that were being supplied to shops and supermarkets, due to which distribution of low-quality products were on the rise. Over the course of the previous month, the health officials also seized 700 kilograms of adulterated ginger-garlic paste from Rajendranagar – where substances like sodium benzoate and citric acid were being used to produce large quantities of the aromatic ingredient.
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Urging the GHMC to work closely with the EVDM wing to conduct inspections and close down establishments that were caught adulterating food products, the mayor of Hyderabad, Gadwal Vijayalaxmi also suggested the ‘Food Safety on Wheels’ initiative to be put in motion. With support from the FSSAI, those who have been caught and charged will also be registered for further investigation for posing substantial risk to public health.