New Delhi : The vegetarians will shrug if told about an age-old practice of the guts of cows, bulls, oxes and buffaloes used by the silver foil manufacturers to produce ‘chandi ka vark,’ used on paan, sweets and fruits.
It, however, may not be so any longer as the Food and Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed to put a total ban on use of the animal parts at any stage of manufacture of these varks. It has also proposed to fix thickness, weight and purity of the silver leaf.
The regulation proposes that “silver leaf shall be in the form of sheet of uniform thickness, free from creases and folds and that its weight should be up to 2.8 grams/square metre while the silver content shall e of minimum 999/1000 purity.
The authority sources said they have already received suggestions from the stakeholders and the guidelines will be formulated soon. When enforced, the standards would put an end to the widely used method of preparing the silver laves, wherein the intestines of cattle obtained from the slaughterhouses are used for making it, which is very unhygienic too.
The standards are to regulate the industry dominated by the unorganised sector that hammers thin sheets of silver put in the bookets made from the bull or any animal”s intestines to produce the “chandi ka vark.” Once the standards are enforced, it will also put to end the malpractice of many unscrupulous producers passing on the aluminum foil as silver leaves. Consumption of aluminum is harmful to health.
On condition of anonymity, a manufacturer explained that those making the “chandi ka vark” buy the intestines as soon as the animal is slaughtered as old intestines stiffen and cannot be used.
They remove blood and cuts the intestines into pieces, putting them together like a booklet. One silver sheet is put between each such booklet and hammered hard till the metal sheets turn into thin wafers.
The manufacturer said even before FSSAI came into picture, the growing awareness and a sizeable market of vegetarians prompted many players in the industry to produce 100% vegetarian sliver leaves which are produced hygienically.
They are using fully automatic and computerised machines to produce the “chandi ka vark,” though the new technology may be costly for the small players.
“Instead of intestines, be assured that we use hygienic polyster. The same technology is used to produce gold leaves that are used to decorate food items like cakes, using the manufacturing practices as prescribed by the European Union (EU),” said the director of a firm in the “chandi ka vark” business.