Food adulteration: a public health disaster

Food adulteration has become a big problem in our country. So much so that it is actually difficult to pick out food that is completely free of adulteration. Unhealthy chemicals mixed with food items thus pose a major threat to public health.

What is even more disturbing is that people from all walks of life are actually aware of this problem, and yet it has become normalised and accepted. Those adulterating food are doing so simply to make more profit without any sense of guilt it seems.

Almost all available figures suggest that the number of cancer patients, heart and kidney related patients are radically increasing. Although it is yet to be fully confirmed scientifically, most experts agree that food adulteration is a major cause for such diseases rising.

It is high time for the authorities to come up with ways to address the problem as people's lives are at stake.

Ramisha Rawnak Khan, East West University