Adulteration of food:

We  live in a society where some times foods and even medicines are sold in an adulterated form by mixing it with other materials, which are  neither food nor medicine. For example, pure ghee may be adulterated with dalda or cooking oils may be mixed with cheaper oils or mineral oils. They are also flavoured with chemicals. Pulses may be sold with stones and wheat flour may contain chalk powder. Similarly, ground spices, tea and coffee are also adulterated. Commonest example  is adulteration of milk with water, sometimes unclean water! All these are  practised by  traders  to gain more profit. Out of greed, traders fail to realise that these acts are injurious  to the health of  the people. For example, adulteration of mustard oil with argemone oil results in paralysis. Bengal gram dal is mixed with Khesari dal which causes lathyrism, a crippling disease characterised by  paralysis of the legs.

Turmeric is often adulterated with a poisonous substance called "metanil yellow" which can cause cancer. Food advertising agencies also mislead people by making false claims abut  their products. A close guard against such propaganda is also necessary. What can be done to stop such practices? Government should enforce strict rules against adulteration of  food items, and give exemplary punishment  to the guilty. The consumer can also form consumer welfare society through which they can give expression to their grievances and also build public pressure against such practices. In USA such societies are very powerful and they closely monitor various products in the market.