Saswati Sarkar
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Written By: Saswati Sarkar | Updated : September 7, 2018 9:56 PM IST
Know if your food is safe for your health. © Shutterstock
There are tons of scientific evidence that food contamination is a serious issue in India. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics and pesticides along with chemical additives in processed foods compromise the safety of what you eat. Every day. On the occasion of National Nutrition Week, Ms. Shruti Kumbla, Nutritionist, Pristine Organics, sheds light on how to combat food contamination and resort to clean eating.
Q. What are the fundamental principles of clean eating?
A. Clean eating is a colloquial term popularised by the Internet. Any food that is minimally processed and has no added preservatives is clean. One can enjoy the flavours of the food in the natural form. For example, you can opt for fresh fruit instead of canned packs and unpolished rice in place of polished rice.
Q. What are the most common ways of food contamination in India?
A. Insect infestation, increase in microbial count, uncontrolled use of pesticides and additives, usage of non-permitted colours are the most common ways of food contamination in India.
Q. We all know about antibiotics being regularly used by Indian poultry farms. How does this practice affect our health?
A. Poultry farms use antibiotics to keep the chicken healthy. This, in turn, has increased the incidence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the chicken. Extensive use of antimicrobials in animal feed is a threat to human health as these resistant bacteria find their way to our bodies through these poultry. However, there are several other direct and indirect pathways of human exposure to these resistant bacteria.
Q. Why are whole grains better than refined grains?
A. Whole grains provide the all the nutrients including the dietary fibre, essential vitamins and minerals along with phytochemicals which get lost in the process of refining grains. Whole grain contains complex carbohydrate which takes more time to digest and provides higher satiety compared to refined grains.
Stick to whole grains if you want all the essential nutrients in your food. Shutterstock
Q. Fruits and vegetables come with a lot of pesticides, chemicals and added colours. How do they affect our health? Is there a way to identify if a produce is laden with toxic elements or colours?
A. Organochlorine pesticides such as DDE and dieldrin were banned a few years ago but still are found in our green leafy vegetables. Also, there are organophosphate pesticides in our veggies which are potent neurotoxins. They can damage children's intelligence, brain development and nervous systems even in low doses. You will be able to figure out if there is added colour in the fruits and vegetables while washing them. Always wash them thoroughly before eating or cooking. It is advisable to buy organic produce to avoid consumption of harmful pesticides and insecticides.
Q. What is the current scenario of organic food certification in India?
A. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as a certifying body has organised the system. The screening and scrutiny procedures are quite stringent now.
Q. What does a consumer need to look out for on the organic food label?
A. The consumer should look out for three logos, India Organic logo, Jaivik Bharat logo and the logos of the certification bodies like Ecocert, Control Union Certification body, Aditi Organics. Apart from this, the food label also mentions what percentage of the finished product has organic ingredient. 100 per cent organic products will also have the USDA logo.
Be careful while reading the label of the organic product you are buying. Shutterstock
Q. It is said that processed foods are bad for our health. What are the most harmful ingredients in them and how do they affect health?
A. We cannot make a generalized statement that processed foods are bad. We should always look out for the type of processing used, the amount of preservative and additives used to increase the shelf life and then judge the goodness of the finished product.
Q. What all should a consumer keep in mind while reading food labels?
A. The consumer should look out for hidden sugars in the forms of High Fructose Corn Syrup, glucose syrup, corn syrup, and maltodextrin. Hydrogenated vegetable oil, also known as Vanaspati add to the trans-fat while preservatives and artificial colour have too many negative health impacts. Lastly, you should look at the the salt content. As per the FSSAI new ruling foods with high sugar, fat and salt content need to be labelled in red. This will help the consumer make an informed choice.
Q. A lot of nutrients are lost while we cook food. Share your tips on retaining maximum nutritional value of food while cooking.
A. You should always avoid over cooking of the vegetables at a high flame.
