Food quality control

Dr K N Prasad Community Medicine

Approaches
Scientific approach Administrative approach Legal approach Educational approach

Food fortification Food additives Food adulteration

Food Fortification
Food fortification is the process whereby nutrients are added to food ( relatively in small quantities) to maintain or improve the quality of the diet of a group , community or population. It is a public health measure to prevent or control some nutritional disorders

Criteria for fortification

1. Vehicle must be a part of the regular daily diet by relevant section of the population. 2. Amount of nutrient added must provide an effective supplement for low consumers of the vehicle 3. Not harmful to high consumers 4. Do not cause noticeable change in the taste, smell, appearance or consistency 5. Cost should be economical

Effectiveness
Fluoridation of drinking water in endemic areas to prevent dental caries Iodisation of salt to prevent IDD Vitamin A fortification of Vanaspathi Iron to salt or Flour

Food enrichment: Bread etc.

Food Additives
Food additives are non nutritious substances which are added intentionally to food , generally in small quantity to improve its appearance , flavor, texture of storage properties. This is the concept of pickling or drying When it is in excess amounts to adulteration

Food additives
Traditionally- Salt, Oil, Turmeric are used

Modern Science- food processing industries use more additives to increase shelf life of food, improve taste, texture or colour.

Classification of additives
1. Coloring agents: considered as safe for human consumption 2. Flavoring agents: sweeteners ( Saccharin), Preservatives( Sorbic acid, Sodium Benzoate), acidity imparting agents ( Citric acid, Acetic acid) 3. Pose health hazards among consumers contaminants through packing, processing steps, farming practices ( insecticides)

Regulations in India
Punishable if Food containing additive which is not permitted Exceeding the concentration of additives used in the food Information on the label gives false confidence among users FAO & WHO Codex Alimentarius are its principal organs for control

Food adulteration
Definition: Mixing, substitution, abstraction, concealing the quality , putting up decomposed food for sale, misbranding or giving false labeling and addition of toxicants to food, which are having adverse effect on the health of the consumer is called as food adulteration.

Disadvantages
Paying more money for a lower quality foodstuffs Some forms of adulteration are injurious to health Practices vary from one part of the country to another , from time to time.

Food adulterants
Extraneous matter - 5% Insect damaged matter 5% Ash insoluble in HCl.

Extraneous matter max permissible limit Inorganic(2%) dirt, dust, stones, lumps of earth Organic(3%) foreign edible seeds, stems, stalks, straw, leaf matters, other food grains

Factors responsible
Ignorance metallic yellow or Rhodopsin B dye to color the sweets in villages
Storing food grains in pesticides stored bags Negligence cooking in un tinned vessels Storing food articles in containers without covers

inadvertence & Deliberate fraud cannot be easily detected

Milk - Addition of water/removal of fat. Skim milk - soluble starch. Cream -foreign fats. Ghee -Hydrogenated fat/animal fat. Vegetable oils -Cheap/non edible oil like linseed, mineral oils. Wheat and rice -stones Bengal gram dhal -Kesari dhal. Chilli powder- Starch colored red by tar dye. Black pepper- Dried papaya seeds Honey -colored sugar syrup.

Prevention PFA

Amended in 1954, 1964, 1976, 1986 Objectives: Protect the consumer against any health hazards arising out of adulteration Protect the consumer from fraudulent trade practices Ensure and enforce fair trace practices

Functions of PFA
Ensure Manufacture or processing under strict hygienic conditions Retention of maximum nutritive value Freedom from toxic effects Elimination of contaminants of different kinds Packaging under sanitary conditions Marketing of food with suitable labeling requirements ( nutritive value, weight, date of mfr, composition, instructions for use etc.)

Actions at various Levels (PFA)

Central, state and local levels Central level- central committee for food standards.
Setting standards for foods, co ordination , monitoring and surveillance of program

State level- implementation & surveillance, training, laboratory services , analysis , punishments Local level- sample collection, enforcement, surveillance, inspection, education to public

Punishments for food adulteration

1. Imprisonment of 6 months with a fine of Rs 1000 2. Harm or death as a result of food adulteration - life imprisonment with fine up to Rs 5000

Thought for the day

Creativity begins with thinking different and progresses with acting different and giving unique results

Thank you

Food standards

 Infections were common among the sex workers, with a 25.7 percent prevalence of HIV and 22.5 percent prevalence of bacterial STDs: chlamydia 7.3 percent; gonorrhea 8.9 percent; and trichomonas 9.4 percent. Antibodies to herpes simplex virus-2 were detected in 57.2 percent of women.