03 May 2004	Monday	12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

Adulteration in milk, beverages, oil, ghee, spices, flour and other food products has assumed massive proportions in the country. It has indeed become a full-time business, with those involved in it being least concerned with the severe health risks they are passing on to consumers.

According to the food department, adulterated eatables are commonly being provided throughout the country and especially in big cities. A district government found 90 per cent of milk samples to be adulterated with large quantity of unhygienic and often untreated water, whereas beverages and fruit juices sold in loose form are also included in the list of adulterated items. Even fake beverage bottles of international brands are available in the market.

Apart from adulteration in food items, other items of low quality are being provided in the market for sale. Again according to the food department, the business of producing and selling adulterated spices, confectionery, honey and bakery items is thriving.

Out of some 24,244 samples of various food items, 11,832 were found to be adulterated. The main cause of the rise in adulteration is that existing laws are not being implemented and the concerned authorities seems to be least interested in checking the menace.

Recently, however, the federal cabinet recommended death penalty for adulteration. The federal government has decided to establish special courts to try the cases of adulteration in food items and medicines and in case proof was found, rigorous imprisonment of up to 25 years and a fine of up to Rs1 million may be awarded to the offender.

While the government plans and executes its own policy, the consumers can both protect themselves against adulterated items and hasten the end of this illegal and immoral activity by preferring to buy food and beverage items in sealed packing. Packaged food can be kept safely for a much longer period and it eliminates the possibility of adulteration and the presence of disease casing organisms.

On the face of it, packaged food may seem to be more expensive than loose supplied food. But the difference is indeed a small price to pay when the serious health risks associated with loose food items is concerned.

Risks that spell all sorts of diseases and even fatality. This is especially true for milk which is consumed in every household. Packaged milk is 'ultra heat treated' that ensures all bacteria and disease causing organisms are killed.

Loose milk is not only adulterated with water of dubious quality, it is also exposed to dust and light, both of which cause rapid deterioration. Thus by opting for packaged milk, juices and other food items, consumers not only save their health, they also hopefully putting an end to adulteration altogether in the long run.

There are many arguments in favour of the aseptic technology, which ensures that at the crucial post-production packing stage, food items are handled hygienically. Secondly, we know that all food deteriorates when exposed to the air and UV (ultra violet) light.

Packaged food cartons being air tight and impermeable to light, protect the packed item from deterioration caused by the elements. What is more, such protection is for up to six months at room temperature, eliminating the need for costly refrigeration.

Unlike other packaging materials like plastic or glass, packaged food cartons are also environment-friendly. Cartons are easily recyclable to produce a variety of goods of daily use. For example, tissue boxes, kitchen and toilet rolls and even a type of chipboard, which can be used to make litter bins and furniture.

By not requiring refrigeration, the cartons save energy. The fact that the cartons are supplied flattened to manufacturers of food and beverage items also mean that energy and space is saved in transportation and storage.

In a developing country like Pakistan, attaining higher energy output has always been a problem. From an environmental point of view, energy saving and energy recovery can be as good a way of dealing with the problem as creating new energy. Used packaged food cartons can be effectively used for energy recovery as well; as each ton of used cartons contains about as much energy as half a ton of oil.

According to an estimate a one-litre empty carton contains enough energy to burn a 40W light bulb for more than one hour! Thus the cartons are a valuable source of fuel for modern waste-to-energy power plants.

A very important additional benefit of recycling used cartons to produce electricity is that problem of disposing of waste is also solved simultaneously.