According to India’s food regulator’s annual report, authorities in Kerala registered a total of 586 cases in connection with adulteration, resulting in Rs1.4bn (US$20.6m) crore in fines between 2014 and 2016.
Of the 4,931 samples analysed from Kerala, 923 were found to be adulterated or misbranded from a number of industry segments, an official told the New Indian Express.
“Be it coconut oil, milk, tea, rice, spices or items included in our daily diet, adulteration is taking place at an alarming level. Harmful chemicals were also found in many of these products. The best way to tackle the issue is to create awareness and further strengthen the monitoring mechanisms,” the food safety officer said.
He blamed vague rules on authorised health claims for the high number of convictions, adding that the low conviction rate and lack of officers are prime reasons for such food items finding their way into the shelves.