Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Food adulteration detection kit given

TIRUCHI: Adulterators, beware. Women in Tiruchi city will soon be scientifically identifying not only the quantum but also the type of adulterated material or substance mixed with food products and edible oils, courtesy the two-day training for a group of women inaugurated in the city on Monday.

The training on ‘Detection of adulteration of food’ jointly sponsored by the Central government and the Concert Trust, a Chennai-based non-governmental organisation promoting consumer movement in the state, aims at empowering select women in identifying the adulterated food products.

The “Annam Spot Test Kit”, worth about Rs.750, comprises a lens, test tubes, 12 chemical reagents to test 32 food products besides ghee and edible oil, was distributed free of cost to each of the 30 trainees.

Speaking after distributing the kits to the trainees, Collector, T. Soundiah appreciated the efforts being taken by the Trust in promoting consumer movement.

He suggested that similar training be imparted to college and school students. Consumers should be sensitised to the need for ascertaining quality, especially in packed food materials.

Trust Director G. Santhanarajan said that it has imparted the training at 24 centres in eight districts during last year and would cover another 33 centres in 11 districts this year, at the rate of three centres in each district. So far, the training had been completed in five districts. He said that the trainees brought from their homes the provisions being used by them for analysing the adulterated materials during the practical session.

Deputy Director M. R. Krishnan said that special focus on label reading in food packets, information on food and nutrition, contamination or adulteration in food materials and strict adherence to the guidelines stipulated in the ‘Prevention of Food Adulteration Act’ and ‘Food Safety Act’ formed the highlight of the training.

District Co-ordinator for training Sakunthala Srinivasan said that with a view to ensuring dissemination of the awareness programme to rural and semi-urban areas, members of the self-help groups, co-ordinators of National Service Scheme of a couple of women’s colleges in the city, which organised special rural camps, were identified for the training.

Similar training would be imparted to women in Musiri and Lalgudi.

Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, S. Srinivasan, S. Martin, Secretary, Tiruchi Payaneettalar Iyakkam and Trustee R. Desikan spoke.

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