Food adulteration: Uproot the problem-tree

If the objective is to improve the quality of food, then the country-wide drive is just cutting the branches without touching the root of the problem-tree. The new law passed recently in the cabinet is just a big brother of half century-old act.

The good thing about the drive is that the court is taking the highest possible actions against the "criminals." But it is frustrating to know that the situation is not improving at all. I had a talk with some defaulter restaurants in the city. They said: "It is their (police's) job to fine us, irrespective of the cleanliness or food quality." Despite the dirty condition in the restaurant's kitchen, one manager told me: "You know, we are catering the city's best food, cooked in the most hygienic condition. Our customers have full confidence in us."

So what is the value of the drive? The result of four consecutive raids to a restaurant called Ghoroa gives us a clue. There was no improvement observed by the mobile court and the restaurant was fined by them repeatedly. Did it really make any sense? Did it achieve the objective of the drive against food adulteration?

If we look at the actions of restaurant workers and shopkeepers positively, we would be able to identify some specific problems linked mostly to their understanding, attitude, and system. The most important thing I have noticed is lack of education. Most restaurant employees do not know how to properly cook, serve, or preserve food items. There are many restaurants and shops who really do not want to compromise with the quality. Managing quality is not that costly. It is a matter of understanding only in many cases.

For example, why would superstores like Meena Bazar or Agora sell rotten fish? They can afford to discard the rotten items from their shelves for the sake of their reputation. All their systems are in place. I am sure their owners would also like to uphold their reputation. Same is true for the restaurants like Purbani or Sunderban. Their top managements are not consciously compromising with the food quality and cooking conditions. It is absolutely the lack of education of some of the concerned people.

The authorities should set the objective first. If the objective is to execute the Act, then it is alright. But if the objective is to improve the food quality, then I have a number of suggestions.

The most important part is to understand things and take the lessons to heart. Education, motivation, and awareness can improve the situation. The law can guard our health, but cannot ensure it. Education about food safety is equally important for both cooks and consumers. If consumers know the safety issue, then they can avoid low-quality foods.

I asked a manager and a cook of a reputed restaurant in the city about food grade colours. I was surprised to know that they hadn't heard of such materials and they did not know the dangerous effects of non-food grade (synthetic) colours on our health. When I informed them that synthetic colours could cause cancer in their bodies, specially in the urinary tract and bladder, they were astonished. They apologised for their wrong-doings in the past, and said they would at least ensure that their children take no synthetic colours in their food.

If I were the authority, I would simply do two things. Firstly, I would arrange a teaching centre for restaurants, either run by the government directly or by commercial companies certified by the government. Secondly, I would go out to visit restaurants and shops that store food items. If I found any discrepancies in quality then I would fine them an amount required to educate the concerned party. Failure to comply for three consecutive visits would automatically cancel the business license on the spot and close down the shop or restaurant.

Each visit should inspect three things meticulously: a) overall environment of the shop/restaurant, b) health of the workers, and c) chemical and microbiological analysis of the food items.

It may be mentioned here that the health of the workers is very important. Because in most cases, diseases like typhoid, hepatitis A, etc spread through food handlers. They can be the carrier of the germs without manifesting any sign or symptom of the diseases. If needed, food handlers should be vaccinated against all possible diseases.

The water quality served in the restaurant must be double checked. The most common contaminations come from dirty water in the restaurant and salad washed in tap water. Wiping plates with a dirty towel on the shoulder of the service person is also another important source of contamination.

A short course of one-two weeks could be designed to educate restaurant workers in four categories: a) cooking, b) washing, c) serving, and d) managing. This course should have the capability to educate even illiterate persons. Restaurant and shop workers should know the basics of personal hygiene and all aspects of food handling. Cooks should know the technique of healthy cooking and importance of hand washing before touching food. They should learn to use cooking instruments. All these are a matter of practice only. The boy washes the utensils should know the microbiological issues involving in the washing process. The washing technique, water quality, and personal hygiene should be his priority. It is also equally important that service persons know the hygienic aspects of food handling. The manager should know all aspects, to make sure that all concerned persons are employing healthy practices. The health of all concerned in the restaurant should be checked periodically to ensure that they are free from communicable diseases.

All restaurant owners should ensure that they are taking certified workers or must send their workers for certification. Even after certification, if they failed to maintain quality, the concerned personnel should go the teaching centre again, and the cost must be borne by the restaurant owner.

I am not opposing the present drive against food adulteration. The authorities should be able to ensure at least one surprise visit a year for every restaurant and shop and should have the power to shut down a restaurant or shop for the sake of people's health.

But priority should be given to the introduction of education centres. Without the introduction of education, it won't be possible to uproot the problem-tree of food adulteration that has grown so widespread due to our lack of our healthy practices.

Dr. Ashoke K. Roy is a public health specialist for GlaxoSmithKline.