As people across the globe mark World Food Safety Day on Sunday, experts at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) remind citizens that contaminated food and water cause millions of illnesses every year, making food safety a pressing public health concern.
This year, the day’s theme is: From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere.
“Unsafe food is preventable,” says Renuka Aggarwal, a scientist at College of Community Science. She highlights the need for vigilance at every stage: from purchase to preparation.
College of Community Science dean Kiran Bains says consumers must demand transparency regarding what they consume. “Consumers ought to read labels critically and adopt evidence-based practices at home. Food safety is a shared responsibility, where every household plays a crucial role,” adds she.
According to the experts, reading beyond the labels is the first and foremost line of defence. They advise checking the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license number and logo, scanning ingredient list for hidden sugars or hydrogenated fats and comparing nutrition facts per 100g rather than per serving. Trans-fats, misleading claims, like ‘multi-grain’ or ‘natural’, and allergens must be carefully noted before consumption or purchase. “Expiry means safety and best-before means quality. One should never confuse the two,” cautions Aggarwal.
They say spotting contamination is vital as well. Washing hands with soap for 20 seconds, separating raw and cooked foods, and respecting the “temperature danger zone” of four degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius are non-negotiable, the experts add.
“Cross-contamination is the silent culprit in most kitchens,” opines Bains, calling for clean water and necessary pest control in grain storage. She says the measures help prevent salmonella, E-coli and other mold-related toxins.
Appropriate storage practices can make or break food safety. Raw meat must be sealed and stored on the lowest refrigerator shelf, leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours and frozen food is to be thawed only in controlled conditions, the experts say. They urge people to wash produce under running water, store dry goods in airtight containers and label home-stored items.
The experts caution against unsafe shortcuts like thawing food on the counter or washing vegetables using soap.
Food adulteration is the most serious threat in today’s time. FSSAI data shows over 33,000 food samples failed quality tests in 2023-24, with complaints rising by 63 per cent the following year. Spices, milk and jaggery were among the commodities most in the red. “Though the prevalence of adulteration is alarming, consumers are not helpless,” says Aggarwal.
FSSAI DART manual provides rapid home tests: litmus paper for detergent in milk, hydrochloric acid for dyes in turmeric, and simple water checks for honey and pulses.
Common adulterants and their dangers include urea in milk causing kidney damage, metanil yellow in turmeric linked to neurotoxicity, Sudan dyes in chilli powder with carcinogenic risks and argemone oil in edible oils leading to epidemic dropsy. Simple household tests, like rubbing chilli powder on white paper or floating black pepper in alcohol, can expose adulteration instantly.
The experts urge citizens to report suspicious products through the FSSAI food safety connect portal and toll-free number 1800 11 4420, and to embrace the Centre’s Eat Right India campaign. “Food safety begins in your kitchen, but its impact extends to the nation’s health,” adds Bains.
