Food Adulteration

Foods Adulteration

Definition

In addition to the unintentional addition, substitution, or abstraction of chemicals, adulteration also refers to the accidental contamination of food during its cultivation, harvesting, storage, processing, transportation, and distribution. "The substitution of food material entirely or partially with cheaper or inferior substances that alter the quality of food" is the definition of food adulteration. Food products of lower quality suffer economic losses due to adulteration, which is also harmful to health. For example, mixing mustard oil with argemone oil can lead to an epidemic of dropsy.

Various Methods of Food Adulteration

Public Health Significance of Food Adulteration

• Some types of adulteration are harmful to health and can even be fatal, such as when mustard oil is contaminated with argemone oil, which causes pandemic dropsy. Dropsy pandemic signs and symptoms Legs suddenly get inflamed and swollen dying from cardiac failure.
• Food coloring contains chemicals that cause cancer.
• Anemia and abortion are caused by unpalatable colors like lead chloride, copper sulphate, and iron oxide. Testicular aging results from metal yellow.
• Food with low nutritional content contributes to the public's poor nutritional status and sickness. Increase in frequency.
• Food that has gone bad or expired has a negative impact on health.

2023 Food Act

Third Amendment to The Food Act 2049

Objectives

The first need of all living things is food. It has to do with health. Our focus is on health promotion and prevention because we are nurses. Therefore, it is our duty to understand the Food Act and to educate others about it. The Nepali Food Act was first introduced in 2023. These were their objectives:

• To prevent food adulteration and maintain food quality in order to preserve & advance peoples' health.
• With the advice and consent of the panchayat, King Birendra B.B.S. created this food act.
• This food act has undergone numerous modifications over the years as necessary. It was most recently changed in 2049 B.S.

Definition Given by Food Act (2023)

• Food Product
  • Food is simply defined as anything that can be eaten or drunk and can be fully, partially, or not at all purified.
• Food Adulteration
  • Food that is uncooked, processed, rotten, poisoned, or dangerous to one's health.
  • Food products prepared with partially or entirely sick and sickly birds, animals, or plants that have a negative impact on human health.
  • Due to the excessive inclusion of food additives, preservatives, pesticides, and other chemicals, food has become inedible.

Objectives of Food Act

• To stop the selling of low-quality, contaminated, and polluted food.
• To stop the selling of food that isn't the right size, quantity, or weight.
• To stop practices that lower the value and quality of food. 4. To preserve the food's quality.
• To avoid making inflated claims on food item labels that are given as advice.
• To guarantee that the location where food is handled adheres to reasonable standards of hygiene.

Food act & Regulation Mainly Covers

• 101 items must meet mandatory food criteria
• Use of non-edible food additives, preservatives, and emulsifiers is restricted
• Microbiological standard for mineral water, milk, and other dairy products
• Legal action, such as a complaint filing, against food adulteration

Low-Quantity Food

Food that has a low percentage of essential ingredients while having a higher or added percentage of other ingredients.

• A change in the food goods' perceived quality.
• Manufacturing and sale of low-quality, contaminated food are prohibited.
• To prevent fraud in the sale of food products.
• The responsible authority may forbid the sale of products if it is determined that the food product is of poor quality or adulterated.
• The salesman needs a license to handle the manufacturing, sales, storage, and purification of the goods.

Punishment

• When someone produces and sells low-quality goods for the first time, they are charged between Rs. 1,000 and 2,000; if they do so again, they are charged between Rs. 2,000 and 5,000; or they are placed in custody for a period of time ranging from 6 months to a year.
• A person who is caught producing and selling adulterated food faces fines of Rs. 5,000–10,000 or up to two years in prison, or both.
• The person responsible for producing and selling the adulterated goods may be fined between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 25,000 or placed in custody for a period of three years, or the affected staff may receive compensation between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 100,000. If the consumption of any adulterated goods results in death or potential death in the near future, irreversible loss to body or its possibility.

Right to Determine the Quality of Food Stuffs

• The orders pertaining to the standards for quality, quantity, and level of any food item can occasionally be made by the current administration.

Examination of Food Products

• The decide committee will assess the food products' attributes.
  • The current government may occasionally create a committee to assess the quality of food products.

To Make Law

The Nepali government may designate a role for carrying out the law's goal. For this, the rules listed below can be created.

• About the qualifications of lab officers and experts as well as laboratory research, analysis, and processing of food products.
• Relating to the management duties of food supervisors. rights
• Regarding the activities, obligations, and committee's food standard declaration and performance.
• Regarding the use of certain labels on food goods made in Nepal by the producer or retailer.
• Regarding the restrictions on flavoring, spices, and other extras in food products.
• Regarding the additional management required to maintain the proper standard for food goods.