Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Chemical composition of toddy to be notified

Thiruvananthapuram: The Excise Department will notify the chemical composition of natural toddy in a bid to crack down on the sale of artificial variants of the substance through licensed outlets in the State.

Official sources said here on Tuesday that the notification would be based on the scientific findings of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Its experts are analysing pure toddy to find out its contents. Samples collected from different parts of the State are being used for the study.

Artificial toddy laced with spirit and chloral hydrate, a low-cost sedative, is retailed widely in the State. The ‘spirit mafia,’ which operates many toddy shops in the name of others, makes synthetic toddy by mixing yeast, sugar, water and a noxious substance locally known as “Ceylon Paste.”

The prevalence of artificial toddy has rendered hundreds of toddy tappers jobless. The widespread consumption of the dubious cocktail is becoming a public health concern. (Consumption of alcohol mixed with chloral hydrate could cause liver damage, according to a study).

The Government recently closed over 70 outlets on the suspicion of selling artificial toddy. Excise Minister P. K. Gurudasan had ordered a crackdown on sellers of artificial toddy.

However, the Government found it difficult to prosecute such offenders because its law enforcers could not tell courts the unique chemical and organic composition of pure toddy. The Excise Department believes that the proposed notification will help courts prevent artificial toddy makers and retailers from going scot-free

The notification will also provide Government chemical examiners a scientific yard stick for analysing toddy samples seized from shops. Currently, the samples are checked only for the presence of spirit or sedatives. The Excise Department has purchased spectroscopic analysis equipment costing more than Rs.60 lakh for analysing toddy samples.

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