Ganj Basoda (Madhya Pradesh): As the festival season is round the corner, the use of low quality and adulterated edible oils has again taken over in the eateries situated in several rural areas of the Ganjbasoda district, such as Udaipur, Ghatera, Bareth, Pathari and Tyonda to name a few.
The situation has exacerbated due to the laxity of the food and drug department, which has given tacit approval to the shop owners and restaurant proprietors to trade low quality and adulterated oils.
The illegal supply and trade of the adulterated oil is ongoing in full swing at scores of places of the said rural areas, where the adulterated oil is being deceitfully sold as high quality oil by packaging it into plastic bottles and placing the sticker of the branded oils on it. Thereafter, the oil is sold to the consumers.
Despite the implementation of the Food Safety and Security Act, which attracts a fine and a provision of imprisonment, the illegal practice of mixing adulterated oil with branded Palm oil is in force. Note worthily, the rates of edible oil have been soaring lately, which have put the poor in a tight spot. Forced due to financial constraints, the poor are compelled to buy cheap quality oil, which in turn proves fatal for their health.
On the condition of anonymity, an employee of the food and drug department shed light on the issue. He stated that purchasing branded edible oils is too heavy on the general public's pocket. Thus, the people have resorted to buying cheap quality oils.
'This is also in the knowledge of the food department personnel, who are silent on the issue, as the general public's health is of no concern to them', he added.
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