|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
ICCO booklet flags supply chain contamination and adulteration
|
|
Thursday, 06 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
|
Ahead of the International Convergence on Cooperative Oncology (ICCO 2026) summit on August 11, organizers have released a public health awareness booklet that maps environmental carcinogens and evaluates classical Ayush therapies alongside modern oncology principles.
Jointly published by academic and research bodies including the Department of Biochemistry at St. Thomas College (Pala) and the AMAI Research Foundation, the document maps contamination pathways from farm sourcing to final consumption.
The report details a river-borne ‘pesticide cascade’, where intensive application of insecticides and fungicides in high-altitude plantation zones flows down connected river systems into lowland agricultural belts. In major paddy zones like Kuttanad and Palakkad, direct field applications combine with upstream residues in waterlogged conditions, increasing chemical residue accumulation in raw agricultural produce prior to commercial handling.
Because Kerala relies heavily on interstate imports for grains, fruits, and vegetables, long-distance transit and extended warehousing introduce secondary contamination risks. To prevent post-harvest spoilage during multi-day transit, bulk suppliers frequently deploy repeated applications of synthetic fungicides and chemical storage treatments, introducing residue risks into raw food commodities before processing.
The seafood supply chain faces similar post-harvest preservation failures. Enforcement drives conducted by state regulators, such as Operation Sagar Rani, have repeatedly intercepted commercial fish consignments adulterated with formalin (formaldehyde), an IARC Group 1 carcinogen used illegally to delay spoilage during transit, alongside heavy metal contamination such as lead and cadmium.
For the industrial spice and seasoning sector, the document flags significant processing risks associated with bulk raw material storage. Raw spices held in large-scale warehouses remain vulnerable to aflatoxin B1 and ethylene oxide contamination, while the common industry practice of blending multiple raw batches into mass-market masala mixes risks distributing localized batch contamination across widespread consumer markets.
Downstream in commercial foodservice and snack manufacturing, operational practices such as the repeated reuse of frying oils at elevated temperatures continue to generate high levels of carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and acrylamide. Besides, regulatory inspections across small-scale sweetmeat manufacturers and street food vendors continue to detect prohibited synthetic food dyes, including Rhodamine B and Metanil Yellow.
In response to these findings, food safety advocates and industry experts are calling on regional food manufacturers, commercial brands, and foodservice providers to adopt clean-label manufacturing practices. Industry stakeholders are urged to implement FSSAI-compliant ingredient sourcing, perform routine multi-residue chemical testing, and ensure transparent labelling to safeguard consumer health and maintain market integrity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|