About 84.5% of food samples collected on Char Dham routes adulterated

Of the 1,186 food samples collected over the last three months by the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, from 47 places along the Char Dham Yatra routes of Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, 1,003 samples (or a whopping 84.5 per cent) were found to be adulterated.

Eighty-four per cent of the adulteration in foodstuff took place on the Badrinath-Kedarnath route, while 84.5 per cent adulteration in foodstuff took place on the Gangotri-Yamnotri Route. Eighty-one per cent of the iodised salt samples contained no iodine.

The prasad (offerings to gods in the temples) is also of a poor quality. Ilaichi dana was found to contain chemicals. The coconut was found to be stale and of a poor quality, as were chhuara, cashew and kishmish in Kedarnath. The pure ghee offered to Kedarnath Ji was also found to be adulterated.

Chilli sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar used for chow mein and other Chinese meals were found to be 100 per cent adulterated.

Sindoor, or roli, was found to contain 100 per cent toxic chemicals. It can cause local irritation and skin toxicity. The nature of sindoor, or kumkum, can change with exposure to the environment over time, and this can result in blisters, itching, rashes, pigmentation and, at times, serious dermatological disorders.

The samples were collected with the help of trained volunteers. The campaign was supported by Lok Sanchar Vikas Samiti. This was stated in a report by Brij Mohan Sharma, secretary, SPECS.

â€œUttarakhand is known for its simple pure unadulterated food, but what we are getting from outside is adulterated processed food,â€ he said.

Sharma added, â€œProducts from branded companies which reach the mountains is of a poor quality as compared to those available in Dehradun. Calcium is absent in milk and milk products. Mustard oil is adulterated.â€

Adulteration percentages in previous years on Char Dham routes

Year	Kedarnath-Badrinath	Gangotri-Yamnotri
2018	84%	84.5%
2017	85%	83%
2016	85%	78%
2015	85%	80%
2014	84%	78%
2013	87%	79%
2012	84%	78%
2011	88%	76%
2010	78%	87%
2009	75%	91%
2008	75%	89%
2007	72%	84%
2006	71%	81%
2005	71%	81%

Adulteration percentages from Dehradun to Badrinath and Kedarnath (2018)

One hundred per cent

Between 90 and 99%

Between 80 and 89%

Between 70 and 79%

Between 60 and 69%

Kaudiyala100%

Kedarnath94%

Gopeshwar91%

Badrinath90%

Srikot 88%

Rishikesh 87%

Joshimath 88%

Papal Koti 88%

Agustmuni 86%

Rudrprayag 85%

Mana 85%

Dehradun 85%

Karanprayag 82%

Guptakashi 82%

Tilwada 81%

Doiwala 81%

Srinagar 80%

Ukhimath 78%

Devprayag 77%

Chamoli 76%

Govindghat 75%

Chopta 75%

Gaucher 73%

Nandprayag 72%

Bayasi66%

Bhaniawala60%

Percentage of adulteration in each food item from Dehradun to Badrinath and Kedarnath

Mustard oil 100%

Coriander 92%

Turmeric 89%

Red chilli 88%

Refined oil 87%

Clove 76%

Milk 75%

Sweets 76%

Paneer 76%

Pure ghee 76%

Black pepper 62%

Tea 92%

Percentage of adulteration from Narender Nagar to Gangotri

Gangori 100%

Bhatwari 100%

Gangnani 100%

Harshil 94%

Narender Nagar 93%

Gangotri 90%

Agrakhal 87%

Tehri 86%

Uttarkashi 85%

Dunda 80%

Chamba 75%

Dharashu 73%

Rajpur to Yamnotri

Badkot 88%

Bernigad 88%

Naugaon 86%

Mussorie 83%

Hanuman Chatti 83%

Yamnotri 81%

Nainbagh 80%

Rajpur 80%

Kempty 76%

Percentage of adulteration in food items from Narender Nagar to Gangotri and Yamnotri

Mustard oil 100%

Turmeric 94%

Red chilly powder 94%

Coriander 93%

Clove 87%

Black pepper 82%

Refined oil 76%

Milk 75%

Paneer 75%

Pure ghee 73%

Sweets 68%

Massive adulteration in food at Kanwad Mela at Haridwar

SPECS collected 100 samples of food items. Of these, 87 samples were found to be adulterated. Out of 15 samples of milk, eight samples were positive on urea test.

The following were the percentages of adulteration in the collected samples:

Milk 83%

Sweets 73%

Turmeric 87%

Red chilli powder 88%

Coriander powder 91%

Mustard oil 100%

Refined oil 72%

â€œWe claim tourism to be the economic backbone of our fledgling, state and yet, as the results of the testing clearly prove, there are serious doubts and lacunae in our tourism aspirations and approach,â€ Sharma said.

â€œIn the stateâ€™s tourism policy and practice, one of its more important pillars – food or boarding – stands largely ignored. Never mind the beautiful mountain landscape and the spiritual experience, at the physical level, what we are offering to the pilgrims and tourists is sheer third-class food and boarding, with a big question mark on its quality,â€ he added.

The following are the possible diseases due to adulterants: Joint ache; diarrhoea; stomach disorders; liver problem; ulcer; vomiting; cancer; dropsy; gastrointestinal problems; swelling; glaucoma; respiratory diseases; dysentery; paralysis, neuro-toxic problems, allergy and hair loss.

What is adulteration?
Under the erstwhile Prevention of Food Adulterants Act, 1954, any article of food is adulterated if:

Any inferior or cheaper substance has been substituted wholly or in part;
Any constituent of the article has been wholly or in part abstracted;
The article has been prepared, packed or kept under insanitary conditions;
The article consists in part filthy, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable or is infested with insects;
The article is obtained from diseased animal;
The article contains any poisonous ingredient;
The article has an prescribed coloring substance or the coloring substance is in excess of the prescribed limits;
The article contains any prohibited or excessive preservatives, or
The quality or purity of the article falls below the prescribed standards

Table 1: Adulterants found in food products available in markets on Char Dham routes

Food item	Adulterated material/deficiency
Turmeric	Metanil yellow, lead chromate and starch
Red chilli	Rhodaminâ€“B, Sudan and Garu
Coriander	Mud/soil and some suspected material
Black pepper	Natural oil already extracted
Clove	Natural oil already extracted
Garam masala	Mud/soil and dung
Milk	Castor oil, sodium carbonate and dry milk
Paneer	ry Dry milk and vegetable oil
Sweets	Metanil yellow in laddoo, melachite green, dry milk and Dalda
Desi ghee	Dalda ghee
Mustard oil	Mobile oil, castor oil and metanil yellow
Refined oil	Mobile oil and Metanil yellow
Tea	Dyed tea leaves and chromium dye
Coffee	Tamarind seeds
Prasad sugar	Rani and Tinopal (products for washing clothes)
Honey	Sugar
Roli	Dye metallic
Chhuara	Old and waste
Groundnut	Old
Tomato	Rhodaminâ€“B
Green chilli	Malachite green
Vinegar	Acetic acid

Year: 2018
Table 1: Dehradun to Badrinath and Kedarnath

Place	Percentage of adulteration	Total samples	Adulterated samples
Dehradun	85	105	90
Doiwala	81	32	26
Bhaniawala	60	10	6
Rishikesh	87	65	57
Bayasi	66	6	4
Kaudiyala	100	7	7
Devprayag	77	22	17
Srinagar	80	41	33
Srikot	88	18	16
Rudrprayag	85	28	24
Tilwada	81	16	13
Gaucher	73	19	14
Karanprayag	82	34	28
Nandprayag	72	11	8
Chamoli	76	17	13
Papalkoti	88	17	15
Joshimath	88	26	23
Govindghat	75	8	6
Badrinath	90	22	20
Mana	85	7	6
Agustmuni	86	15	13
Guptakashi	82	17	14
Ukhimath	78	14	11
Chopta	75	8	6
Gopeshwar	91	34	31
Kedarnath	94	17	16
Total	83.92	616	517

Table 2: Percentage of adulteration in each food item (Dehradun to Badrinath and Kedarnath)

Food item	Samples	Adulterated samples	Percentage of adulteration
Turmeric	78	70	89
Red chilli powder	76	67	88
Coriander	75	69	92
Clove	52	40	76
Black pepper	50	31	62
Milk	49	39	75
Paneer	38	29	76
Sweets	38	29	76
Pure ghee	46	35	76
Mustard oil	74	74	100
Refined oil	40	35	87
Total	616	517	83.92

Table 3: Percentage of adulteration from Narender Nagar to Gangotri

Place	Total samples	Adulterated samples	Percentage of adulteration
Narender Nagar	32	30	93
Agrakhal	19	15	78
Chamba	32	24	75
Tehri	52	45	86
Dharashu	15	11	73
Dunda	10	8	80
Uttarkashi	48	41	85
Gangori	10	10	100
Bhatwari	7	7	100
Gangnani	6	6	100
Harshil	17	16	94
Gangotri	22	20	90
Total	270	233	86

Table 4: Percentage of adulteration in each food from Narender Nagar to Gangotri

Food item	Total samples	Adulterated samples	Percentage of adulteration
Turmeric	35	33	94
Red chilli powder	35	33	94
Coriander	32	30	93
Clove	24	21	87
Black pepper	23	19	82
Milk	28	21	75
Paneer	8	6	75
Sweets	16	11	68
Pure ghee	19	14	73
Mustard oil	25	25	100
Refined oil	25	19	76
Total	270	232	85

Table 5: Rajpur to Yamnotri

Sampling sites	Total samples	Adulterated samples	Percentage of adulteration
Rajpur	36	29	80
Mussoorie	42	35	83
Kempty	17	13	76
Nainbagh	15	12	80
Bernigad	9	8	88
Naugaon	22	19	86
Badkot	25	22	88
Hanuman Chatti	12	10	83
Yamnotri	22	18	81
Total	200	166	83

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About 84.5% of food samples collected on Char Dham routes adulterated