Centre for Science and Environment masthead Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Donate

Cse In News

Cse In News

CSE stands by its report on adulteration of honey sold by Dabur, Patanjali in India

Honey sold by several major brands in India has been found adulterated with sugar syrup, environment watchdog Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed on Wednesday. CSE food researchers selected 13 top as well as smaller brands of processed and raw honey being sold in India to check their purity. It was found that 77 per cent of the samples were adulterated with the addition of sugar syrup. Out of the 22 samples checked, only five passed all the tests. "Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test," the study said. Samples of these brands were first tested by the CSE at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, almost all the top brands passed the tests of purity, while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar--it is the basic adulteration using cane sugar. "But when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups almost all big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands tests, only three passed the NMR test, which was done by a specialised laboratory in Germany," it claimed. "What we found was shocking. It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India. Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected," said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE's Food Safety and Toxins team. The CSE also claimed that it tracked down Chinese trade portals which were advertising fructose syrup that can bypass tests to check adulteration. It also found that the same Chinese companies that advertised this fructose syrup that can beat C3 and C4 tests were also exported to India. CSE director general Sunita Narain said they then conducted an undercover operation to find out more. "Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80 per cent of the honey is adulterated with syrup, it would pass all stipulated tests. A sample of the syrup that can bypass tests was then sent by the Chinese company as paint pigment to get through customs," she claimed. Commenting on the development, Patanjali Ayurved spokesperson S K Tijarawala told PTI, "We manufacture only the natural honey, which is approved by the food regulator FSSAI. Our product meets the standards laid by FSSAI.” He also alleged that it was a conspiracy to defame the natural honey producers of the country.

National Green Tribunal extends ban on firecrackers

The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday extended the ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Delhi-NCR and other cities, where the ambient air quality is in the poor category or worse. The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday extended the ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Delhi-NCR and other cities, where the ambient air quality is in the poor category or worse. The green court said that during Christmas and on New Year, the use of green crackers will be allowed between 11:55 pm to 12:30 am, but only at places where air quality is in the moderate zone or better. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel, said its direction to restrict the use of firecrackers in places where air quality is ‘moderate’ or below for green crackers and for the duration of not more than two hours, will continue. “There will be a total ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers during Covid-19 pandemic in the NCR and all cities/towns in the country where the ambient air quality falls under the ‘poor’ and above category,” the bench said. The NGT also directed all district magistrates to ensure that firecrackers are not sold in Delhi-NCR and ordered strict compliance of the ban. The bench said that if individuals face problems due to burning of firecrackers they can consult the district magistrate for compensation. It said, “Any victim of pollution, apart from other remedies, can approach the district magistrate for compensation.” The air quality in Delhi remained in the very poor category on Wednesday, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that with temperatures and wind speeds reducing, the pollution levels are likely to become worse in the coming weeks. Last month, ahead of Diwali, the NGT had imposed a complete ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight in not only Delhi and NCR, but well as in places which had recorded ‘poor’ air quality levels in 2019. The NGT had then attached a list of 122 places across the country, which had recorded poor air quality levels in November 2019. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said that a cracker ban can only be successful if its enforcement is ensured efficiently. “Firecrackers were banned even during Diwali, but across neighbourhoods in Delhi and even in NCR towns, we heard cracker bursting and its impact was also seen in the air quality on Diwali night and a day later. Bans can only be successful with effective enforcement and awareness among citizens. They need to be made aware of the side effects of large scale cracker bursting on their and their family’s health,” said Roychowdhury said.

Honey sold by major brands in India adulterated with sugar syrup: Center for Science and Environment

The environmental watchdog Center for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed today that honey sold by many significant brands in India was discovered to be adulterated with sugar syrup. Food scientists from the CSE picked 13 top and smaller brands to verify their purity. 77 per cent of the samples were found to have been adulterated with sugar syrup. Just five out of the 22 samples tested passed all the tests. The study claimed that "Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test," The the Center for Science and Environment said when these samples were first tested at the Centre for Livestock and Food Research and Learning (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat, they all passed the test, except for a few smaller brands which failed to detect C4 sugar test. "But when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) - laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups - almost all big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands tests, only three passed the NMR test, which was done by a specialised laboratory in Germany," it claimed. "Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected," said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE's Food Safety and Toxins team. The CSE also reported that it had monitored Chinese trade portals that marketed fructose syrup that could circumvent adulteration control checks. The same Chinese companies that advertised this fructose syrup that can beat C3 and C4 tests were also exported to India, it was also found. Sunita Narain, CSE director general, said they then conducted an undercover operation to find out more. "Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80 per cent of the honey is adulterated with syrup, it would pass all stipulated tests. A sample of the syrup that can bypass tests was then sent by the Chinese company as paint pigment to get through customs," she claimed. "We are consuming honey - more of it to fight the pandemic. But honey adulterated with sugar will not make us well. It will, in fact, make us even more vulnerable. On the other hand, what should also concern us is that the loss of bees will lead to a collapse of our food system - bees are critical for pollination; if honey is adulterated, then not only do we lose our health, but also the productivity of our agriculture," she said. Narain said it is time to outwit the business of adulteration. "We need to strengthen enforcement in India through public testing so that companies are held responsible. The government should get samples tested using advanced technologies and make this information public so that consumers are aware and our health is not compromised. It will also hold companies responsible," Narain said. "Ensure that every honey company is required to trace back the origins of the honey - from the beekeeper to the hive," she added. (With inputs from PTI)

CSE responds to statements from Dabur and Patanjali on its investigation in honey adulteration

On December 2, 2020, Delhi based public interest research and advocacy organisation Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released its findings on the nefarious business of adulteration in honey, which is damaging people’s health. Two of India’s big names in the business – Dabur and Patanjali – have issued statements to the media on CSE’s findings. CSE responded to these statements here today. Regrading Dabur’s claim about maligning its brand and that its honey is NMR passed from Germany and is meeting Indian standards CSE says: We stand by our findings. Our findings have revealed that 10 out of 13 brands have failed all tests of purity. Most of these are big brands, including Dabur. This is not only about Dabur. In fact, we have talked about how smaller brands are also adulterated. This is about the consumer’s health. We have shared detailed laboratory results of all samples on our website. The NMR test report available on Dabur’s website and shared with media in support of the company’s statement is a report of the Bruker equipment/machine for NMR profiling. Bruker is a company which developed NMR and promotes it. We would like to make the consumer aware that this is not a laboratory report, which involves expert interpretation of the information by the equipment. In the case of NMR, it is critical that final conclusion on a sample’s adulteration is based on interpretation and confirmation by a laboratory expert on NMR. Even the report shared by Dabur mentions that expert interpretation is necessary before deducing any conclusion. On the other hand, CSE has shared the findings based on laboratory reports from Germany, which involves expert interpretation and confirmation of the data obtained by the machine/equipment. This is a universally accepted practice. Furthermore, Dabur has shared the report of only one sample. Also, there is no mention of the batch number of the sample tested. So, it remains unclear which batch is being talked about. On the other hand, we have provided three batch numbers of three samples tested of Dabur; that is BM3463, with the date of manufacture of May 25, 2020; BM3589, manufactured on July 10, 2020; and BM3636, manufactured on August 5, 2020. All three batches were found to be adulterated. In the absence of this information on laboratory test by the batch number, Dabur’s claim of purity is not tenable. We have also noted that Dabur is constantly changing the language on its claims regarding NMR tests. In earlier advertisements, it has said “NMR tested, pure honey”; as of today — after the release of the CSE investigation — Dabur is claiming “source NMR tested”. “Is this jugglery another attempt to confuse the consumer?” asks CSE director general Sunita Narain. Dabur’s claim about compliance with Indian laws is no surprise. That is what we have been saying — that the business of adulteration is sophisticated. The Indian labs testing for parameters set by the FSSAI could not detect this evolved adulteration. The fact that samples deliberately adulterated by us by up to 50 per cent of syrups passed all Indian tests is a robust proof of this. So, any claim of meeting all Indian standards actually holds limited value. Regarding media reports which quote Patanjali, where CSE is being accused of promoting the German technology. CSE says: We would like to make our position clear once again about this. NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) is an advanced test that can detect adulteration with modified sugar syrups, which may otherwise go undetected. It is being used in different parts of the world for the same reason and even the Indian government has mandated it since August 2020 for honey meant to be exported. So, it could be important to include such advanced testing in government testing system that can help the enforcement agencies to know if the honey sold to consumers is adulterated or not. It can also help the agencies know which companies are selling adulterated honey, which is a crime, and take required punitive action against the defaulters. In fact, we have emphasised that NMR should not be made mandatory because it will likely help for a limited time — the business of adulteration is so sophisticated that very soon there would be syrups which can bypass the NMR test as well. (By Pratyusha Mukherjee)

शहद खाने वाले हो जाएं सावधान, सभी बड़े ब्रांड्स के सैंपल हुए फेल

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) ने कहा है कि 2003 और 2006 में जब सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक में जांच के दौरान जो मिलावट पाई गई थी, उससे भी ज्यादा खतरनाक मिलावट अब शहद में हो रही है. 13 बड़े ब्रांड्स के शहद को शुद्धता के पैमाने पर फेल पाया गया है.

सावधान शहद खाने वालों: मिठास में मिला जहर, फेल नामी-गिरामी कंपनियां

नई दिल्ली: शहद को आज के समय में अमूल्य पवित्र और अमृत की तरह माना जाता है। इसका सेवन औषधि की तरह किया जाता है। लेकिन इसमें जबरदस्त मिलावट की जा रही है। यह हालत सिर्फ सड़क किनारे भगोने में बिकने वाले शहद की नहीं, बल्कि नामी गिरामी ब्रांडेड शहद की भी है। सीएसई ने इसका खुलासा करते हुए बाजार में बिकने वाले 13 ब्रांड वाले प्रोसेस्ड शहद को चुना। इन ब्रांड के नमूनों को सबसे पहले गुजरात के राष्ट्रीय डेयरी विकास बोर्ड में स्थित सेंटर फॉर एनालिसिस एंड लर्निंग इन लाइवस्टॉक एंड फूड में जांचा गया। लगभग सभी शीर्ष ब्रांड (एपिस हिमालय छोड़कर) शुद्धता के परीक्षण में पास हो गए, जबकि कुछ छोटे ब्रांड इस परीक्षण में फेल हुए, उनमें सी3 और सी4 शुगर पाया गया, यह शुगर चावल और गन्ने के हैं, लेकिन जब इन्हीं ब्रांड्स को न्यूक्लियर मैग्नेटिक रेजोनेंस (एनएमआर) परीक्षण पर परखा गया तो लगभग सभी ब्रांड के नमूने फेल पाए गए। वैश्विक स्तर पर मोडिफाई एनएमआर परीक्षण वैश्विक स्तर पर मोडिफाई शुगर सिरप को जांचने के लिए प्रयोग किया जाता है। 13 ब्रांड परीक्षणों में सिर्फ 3 ही एनएमआर परीक्षण में पास हो पाए। इन्हें जर्मनी की विशेष प्रयोगशाला में जांचा गया था। सीएसई के फूड सेफ्टी एंड टॉक्सिन टीम के कार्यक्रम निदेशक अमित खुराना ने कहा कि हमने जो भी पाया वह चौंकाने वाला था कि मिलावट का व्यापार कितना विकसित है जो खाद्य मिलावट को भारत में होने वाले परीक्षणों से आसानी से बचा लेता है। जांच में सामने आए इन कंपनियों के नाम 77 फीसदी नमूनों में शुगर सिरप के साथ अन्य मिलावट पाए गए। कुल जांचे गए 22 नमूनों में केवल पांच ही सभी परीक्षण में पास हुए। शहद के प्रमुख ब्रांड्स जैसे डाबर, पतंजलि, बैद्यनाथ, झंडु, हितकारी और एपिस हिमालय, सभी एनएमआर टेस्ट में फेल पाए गए। 13 ब्रांड्स में से सिर्फ 3 – सफोला, मार्कफेड सोहना और नेचर्स नेक्टर, सभी परीक्षणों में पास पाए गए। भारत से निर्यात किए जाने शहद का एनएमआर परीक्षण 1 अगस्त, 2020 से अनिवार्य कर दिया गया है, जो यह बताता है कि भारत सरकार इस मिलावटी व्यापार के बारे में जानती थी, इसलिए उसे अधिक आधुनिक परीक्षणों की आवश्यकता पड़ी। इसमे गोल्डन सिरप, इनवर्ट शुगर सिरप और राइस सिरप का इस्तेमाल शहद में मिलावट के लिए किया जा रहा है। चीन के व्यापारिक पोर्टल्स की छानबीन निदेशक अमित खुराना ने कहा कि एफएसएसएआई के निर्देश में जिन सिरप के बारे में कहा गया है, वे उन नामों से आयात नहीं किए जाते हैं या इनसे मिलावट की बात साबित नहीं होती। इसकी बजाए चीन की कंपनियां फ्रुक्टोज के रूप में इस सिरप को भारत में भेजती हैं। चीन की कंपनियों को ईमेल भेजे गए और उनसे अनुरोध किया गया कि वे ऐसे सिरप भेजें, जो भारत में परीक्षणों में पास हो जाएं। उनकी ओर से भेजे गए जवाब में हमें बताया गया कि सिरप उपलब्ध हैं और उन्हें भारत भेजा जा सकता है। सीएसई ने अलीबाबा जैसे चीन के व्यापारिक पोर्टल्स की छानबीन की जो अपने विज्ञापनों में दावा करते हैं कि उनका फ्रुक्टोज सिरप भारतीय परीक्षणों को बाईपास कर सकता है। सीएसई ने इस मामले में और जानकारी हासिल करने के लिए एक अंडरकवर ऑपरेशन चलाया।

Be fond of honey, be careful! Samples of all big brands failed | शहद के शौकीन हो जाएं सावधान! सभी बड़े ब्रांड्स के सैंपल हुए फेल

नई दिल्ली: कोरोना काल (Coronavirus) में सेहतमंद रहने और इम्यूनिटी को बूस्ट करने के लिए अगर आप भी शहद (Honey) का सेवन करते हैं तो सावधान हो जाइए. उसमें चीनी की मिलावट है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस (Centre for Science and Environment) की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, सभी बड़े ब्रांड्स के सैंपल टेस्ट में फेल हो गए हैं. चीन में खास तरह से बने सुगर सिरप का किया जा रहा इस्तेमाल CSE के अनुसार, ये कंपनी चीन में बनी शुगर सिरप का इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं ताकि टेस्टिंग में आसानी से पकड़ में न आएं. चीन इन शुगर सिरप को खास तरह के ‘डिजाइन’ के तहत तैयार करता है ताकि भारतीय प्रयोगशालाओं के परीक्षणों को चकमा दिया जा सके. जो शहद को एंटीऑक्सीडेंट और एंटी-माइक्रोबियल गुणों के लिए जाना जाता है. जो हमारी इम्यूनिटी को स्ट्रांग बनाता है. उसी शहद के धोखे में हम चीनी खा रहे हैं, जो हमारा वजन बढ़ाती है. डॉक्टरों के अनुसार, कोविड-19 से अधिक वजन वाले लोगों को ज्यादा खतरा है. FSSAI नहीं रहा कोई एक्शन NGO के मुताबिक, खाद्य नियामक भारतीय खाद्य सुरक्षा एवं मानक प्राधिकरण (FSSAI) इस मामले में आंख मूंदे बैठा है. हालांकि यह कहना मुश्किल है कि उसे इस बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं है या उसकी मिलीभगत है. एनजीओ के मुताबिक चीन की कंपनियों और शुगर सिरप के बारे में कुछ अस्पष्ट सी बातें सामने आ रही थी। लेकिन इस रहस्यमयी सिरप और कंपनियों के बारे में कोई ठोस सबूत नहीं थे.

Most top brands are selling adulterated honey in India, shows CSE investigation

An investigation conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found rampant adulteration in honey sold by major Indian brands, with 77 percent of samples failing purity tests for sugar syrup adulteration. Of the 13 top and smaller brands of processed and raw honey, such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, and Zandu, selected by CSE food researchers for the investigation, only three could pass the internationally accepted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test. Indian tests were unable to detect this adulteration because Chinese companies have designed sugar syrups - namely golden syrup, invert sugar syrup and rice syrup being exported to India as fructose - in a way they can easily bypass food standards. When the samples were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat, all top brands, except Apis Himalaya, passed the purity test. Later, when the same samples were tested using NMR, almost all the brands, including Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari, and Apis Himalaya, failed to pass the purity test. Out of a total of 22 samples that were tested, only five passed all the purity tests. The three brands that passed the NMR tests are Saffola, Markfed Sohna, and Nature’s Nectar. The consumption of honey has gone up in India since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic as its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties are known to help build immunity. Hence, the detection of the food fraud is of particular concern as it compromises public health at a time a pandemic has brought the world to its knees. “It is a food fraud more nefarious and more sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now – keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting against a killer COVID-19 pandemic with our backs to the wall. This overuse of sugar in our diet will make it worse,” said Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE. “Our research has found that most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of COVID-19. Sugar ingestion is directly linked to obesity, and obese people are more vulnerable to life-threatening infections,” she added. Speaking about the sugar syrup adulteration, Amit Khurana, Programme Director, Food Safety and Toxins team, CSE, said: “It remains unclear how much does the food regulator really know about this murky business. The three imported sugar syrups named by FSSAI in its directive – golden syrup, invert sugar syrup, and rice syrup - are either not imported in these names or are not indicted for adulteration. Instead, Chinese companies are mostly exporting this syrup as fructose to India. So, why did FSSAI put out what is clearly an erroneous order? We are not certain.” The FSSAI, in the past year, had directed importers and state food commissioners that golden syrup, invert sugar syrup and rice syrup imported into the country was being used for adulteration of honey. It was found that Chinese online portals such as Alibaba were advertising fructose syrups that can bypass purity tests. A factory in Uttarakhand’s Jaspur was also found manufacturing sugar syrup to adulterate honey.

New Delhi-based CSE says its probe found nefarious honey adulteration in top brands

Investigations by New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) with laboratory studies in India and Germany revealed rampant adulteration in honey sold by major brands in India, the non-profit research and advocacy group said. It claimed that 77 per cent of samples found adulterated with sugar syrup with only three out of 13 brands passing the internationally accepted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test. “It is a food fraud more nefarious and more sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now– keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting against a killer COVID-19 pandemic with our backs to the wall. This overuse of sugar in our diet will make it worse,” said Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director general Sunita Narain today, while releasing a new CSE investigation into honey adulteration. The study has found that almost all brands of honey being sold in Indian markets are adulterated with sugar syrup. “This is immensely worrying, as it will further compromise health in the troubled times of COVID-19. We know that households today are consuming more honey because of its intrinsic goodness – antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. "Our research has found that most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of COVID-19. Sugar ingestion is directly linked to obesity, and obese people are more vulnerable to life-threatening infections,” added Narain. What did the investigation find? CSE said its food researchers selected 13 top and smaller brands of processed and raw honey being sold in India. Samples of these brands were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. Almost all the top brands (except Apis Himalaya) passed the tests of purity, while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar – call it basic adulteration using cane sugar. But when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) – laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups – almost all big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands tests, only three passed the NMR test, which was done by a specialised laboratory in Germany. “What we found was shocking,” says Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE’s Food Safety and Toxins team. “It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India.Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected.” The findings were: 77 per cent of the samples were found to be adulterated with addition of sugar syrup. Out of 22 samples tested, only five passed all the tests. Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR test. Only 3 out of the 13 brands – Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar (one out of two samples) - passed all the tests. As of August 1, 2020, NMR tests have been made mandatory in India for honey that is meant for export, suggesting that the Indian government is aware of this adulteration business and the need for more advanced tests.

'Honeygate': CSE alleges most top brands sell adulterated honey

Several brands of honey in India, including leading names such as Dabur and Patanjali, sell honey laced with sugar syrup, an investigation by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claims. CSE is the firm that had brought to light the issue of pesticides in cola and antibiotics in honey in the past. At a press conference, CSE chief Sunita Narain said the firm had sent samples of 13 labs for testing at a German lab for advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR), where only three brands Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Societe Naturelle passed the adulteration test. One batch of Nature's Hectar passed the test while another failed it. The brands that failed the test, including those whose multiple batches were tested, are Dabur, Patanjali, Apis Himalaya, Baidyanath, Zandu, Dadev, Hi Honey, Societe Naturelle, Hitkari and Indigenous Honey. CSE said its probe also reveals that the Indian standards for honey purity cannot detect the adulteration. “Our research has found that most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of COVID-19. Sugar ingestion is directly linked to obesity, and obese people are more vulnerable to life-threatening infections,” said Narain. CSE food researchers also tested the samples at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat, where almost all the top brands (except Apis Himalaya) passed the tests of purity. “What we found was shocking,” says Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE’s Food Safety and Toxins team. “It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India. Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected.” As of August 1, 2020, NMR tests have been made mandatory in India for honey that is meant for export. Over the past few years, FSSAI has revised norms for honey quality several times. Narain said that CSE's findings suggest that more needs to be done to tell apart pure honey. CSE said it also tracked down Chinese trade portals like Alibaba which were advertising fructose syrup that can bypass tests. It also found that the same Chinese companies that advertised this fructose syrup that can beat C3 and C4 tests also exported to India. CSE added that it also conducted an undercover operation where it imported batches of sugar syrup designed to beat normal tests. After mixing the syrup with pure honey in various proportions, CSE got the products tested, which passed purity tests to the point where sugar syrup was laced with honey for up to 50 percent. Besides, CSE also tracked down a factory in India, in Jaspur in Uttarakhand, which manufactures the 'all pass' syrup, which when mixed with honey, helps it clear tests. CSE said it has asked the government and industry to stop the import of syrups and honey from China and strengthen enforcement in India through public testing so that companies are held responsible. "The government should get samples tested using advanced technologies and make this information public so that consumers are aware and our health is not compromised. It will also hold companies responsible," Narain said. Narain added that the rampant adulteration of honey mixing has resulted in a sharp drop of price of honey from Rs 150 odd a kg in 2014-15 to about Rs 60-70 now, hurting local beekeepers. She added that consumers must become more aware of the honey they consume. "We often assume that if honey crystallises, it is not pure. This is not correct. We must start learning the taste, smell and colour of the honey that is natural,” she said.

Honey sold by major brands in India adulterated with sugar syrup: CSE

Honey sold by several major brands in India has been found adulterated with sugar syrup, the environment watchdog CSE claimed Wednesday. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) food researchers selected 13 top and smaller brands of processed and raw honey being sold in India to check their purity. They found 77 per cent of the samples adulterated with the addition of sugar syrup. Out of the 22 samples checked, only five passed all the tests. "Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test," the study said. There was no immediate reply to queries mailed to Dabur, Emami (Zandu) and Patanjali on the CSE findings, while spokespersons for Baidyanath and other companies couldn''t be contacted immediately. Samples of these brands were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, almost all the top brands passed the tests of purity, while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar--it is the basic adulteration using cane sugar. "But when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) – laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups – almost all big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands tests, only three passed the NMR test, which was done by a specialised laboratory in Germany," it claimed. "What we found was shocking. It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India. Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected," said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE''s Food Safety and Toxins team. The CSE also claimed that it tracked down Chinese trade portals which were advertising fructose syrup that can bypass tests to check adulteration. It also found that the same Chinese companies that advertised this fructose syrup that can beat C3 and C4 tests were also exported to India. CSE director general Sunita Narain said they then conducted an undercover operation to find out more. "Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80 per cent of the honey is adulterated with syrup, it would pass all stipulated tests. A sample of the syrup that can bypass tests was then sent by the Chinese company as paint pigment to get through customs," she claimed. “We are consuming honey – more of it to fight the pandemic. But honey adulterated with sugar will not make us well. It will, in fact, make us even more vulnerable. On the other hand, what should also concern us is that the loss of bees will lead to a collapse of our food system – bees are critical for pollination; if honey is adulterated, then not only do we lose our health, but also the productivity of our agriculture," she said. Narain said it is time to outwit the business of adulteration. "We need to strengthen enforcement in India through public testing so that companies are held responsible. The government should get samples tested using advanced technologies and make this information public so that consumers are aware and our health is not compromised. It will also hold companies responsible," Narain said. "Ensure that every honey company is required to trace back the origins of the honey – from the beekeeper to the hive," she added. PTI UZM KRH DPB

ಪತಂಜಲಿ, ಡಾಬರ್ ಸೇರಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಕಂಪನಿಗಳ ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪ ಕಲಬೆರಕೆ!... Read more at: https://kannada.asianetnews.com/business/leading-honey-brands-fail-adulteration-test-by-foreign-lab-says-cse-pod-qkqtzx

ನವದೆಹಲಿ(ಡಿ.03): ದೇಶದ ಖ್ಯಾತನಾಮ ಬ್ರಾಂಡ್‌ಗಳು ಮಾರಾಟ ಮಾಡುವ ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪ ಕಲಬೆರಕೆಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಕ್ಕ... Read more at: https://kannada.asianetnews.com/business/leading-honey-brands-fail-adulteration-test-by-foreign-lab-says-cse-pod-qkqtzx

মধু নাকি সিরাপ! কী খাচ্ছেন?

স্বাস্থ্য রক্ষায় নামী সংস্থার মধু খাচ্ছেন? নাকি মধুর আড়ালে আপনার শরীরে ঢুকছে অন্য কিছু, যা উল্টে ডেকে আনতে পারে ক্ষতি! বুধবার দিল্লির পরিবেশ গবেষণা সংস্থা ‘সেন্টার ফর সায়েন্স অ্যান্ড এনভায়রনমেন্ট’ (সিএসই)-এর সাংবাদিক বৈঠক এই প্রশ্নই তুলে দিয়েছে। তাদের তদন্তমূলক কর্মকাণ্ডে জানা গিয়েছে, এ দেশের বেশির ভাগ নামী সংস্থার মধুতেই রয়েছে ভেজাল! এবং সে ভেজাল নেহাতই চিনি বা গুড় নয়, বরং চাল বা অন্য কোনও দানা থেকে রাসায়নিক উপায়ে তৈরি মিষ্টি রস। মূলত চিন থেকে সেই রস এ দেশে সুক্রোজ় এবং ফ্রুক্টোজ় নামে আমদানি হয়। তবে এ দেশের উত্তরাখণ্ডেও সেই রস বা সিরাপ তৈরির কারখানা চালু হয়েছে বলে সিএসই-র ডিরেক্টর জেনারেল সুনীতা নারায়ণ জানান। তবে এই প্রথম নয়, ২০১০ সালেই সিএসই-র তদন্তে উঠে এসেছিল, মধুর মধ্যে প্রচুর পরিমাণে অ্যান্টিবায়োটিক মিলছে। সুনীতা বলেন, ‘‘কোভিড পরিস্থিতিতে প্রচুর লোকে মধু খাচ্ছেন। এই ভেজাল মধু আসলে তাঁদের ক্ষতি করবে। আবার মৌমাছিপালকেরাও ক্ষতির মুখে পড়ছেন।’’ বস্তুত, এই জাতীয় ভুট্টার (কর্ন) সিরাপ খাওয়ার ফলে আমেরিকায় নাগরিকদের স্থূলতা বাড়ছে। দেশের মধ্যে এমন বড় আকারে ভেজাল মধুর কারবার চললেও কেন্দ্রীয় সরকার কেন তা জানে না সেই প্রশ্ন উঠেছে। এ প্রসঙ্গেই সিএসই জানিয়েছে, গত কয়েক বছরে কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের ‘ফুড সেফটি স্ট্যান্ডার্ডস অ্যান্ড সেফটি অথরিটি অব ইন্ডিয়া’ মধুর ব্যাপারে নির্দেশিকা বদলেছে। তাতে আখের থেকে তৈরি চিনি মেশানো হয়েছে কি না, তা ধরার ব্যবস্থা থাকলেও ‘ট্রেস মেকার ফর রাইস সিরাপ’ (টিএমআর) এবং ‘নিউক্লিয়ার ম্যাগনেটিক রেজ়োন্যান্স’ (এনএমআর)-এর মতো উন্নত পরীক্ষা বাদ দেওয়া হয়। সুনীতা জানান, দেশের মধ্যে পাশ করলেও জার্মান একটি ল্যাবরেটরিতে এই পরীক্ষাতেই ফেল করেছে দেশের ভেষজপণ্য প্রস্তুতকারী নামী সংস্থাগুলির অনেকে। দেশের মধ্যে যে পণ্যগুলি পাশ করছে সেগুলির মান নিয়ে যথেষ্ট উদ্বেগের কারণ রয়েছে বলেও মনে করছেন অনেকে। চিন থেকে ওই মিষ্টি সিরাপের নমুনা আনিয়ে তা খাঁটি মধুর সঙ্গে বিভিন্ন হারে মিশিয়ে ন্যাশনাল ডেয়ারি ডেভেলপমেন্ট বোর্ডের পরীক্ষাগারে পাঠিয়েছিল সিএসই। যে নমুনায় ৫০ শতাংশ সিরাপের ভেজাল রয়েছে তাও পাশ করে গিয়েছে বলে দাবি করেছে তারা। তবে কয়েকটি ছোট মাপের সংস্থার মধুও পরীক্ষা করা হয়েছিল। সেগুলিতে শুধু চিনির রস মিলেছে। সুনীতা জানান, চিনা পণ্য বিক্রিকারী অনলাইন সংস্থা দেখে তাঁরা এই রস বিক্রয়কারী কয়েকটি চিনা সংস্থার সঙ্গে যোগাযোগ করেন এবং তারা জানায়, খুব সহজেই এই সিরাপ তারা ভারতে পৌঁছে দেবে। দেখা যায়, একটি সংস্থা হংকং থেকে রঙ রফতানি করছে বলে এই রস পাঠাচ্ছে। আবার আরেকটি সংস্থা সুক্রোজ় বলে এ দেশে সিরাপ পাঠাচ্ছে। পরবর্তী কালে তারা জানতে পারেন, উত্তরাখণ্ডে চিনা প্রযুক্তি ব্যবহার করে একটি কারখানা খোলা হয়েছে। সেখান থেকেও ৬৮ টাকা কিলোগ্রাম দরে সিরাপ কেনেন তারা। সেই সবই পরীক্ষা করানো হয়েছে। তবে যে মধুগুলি পাশ করেছে তারাও সন্দেহের ঊর্ধ্বে কি না, তা নিয়েও প্রশ্ন রয়েছে। সুনীতাই বলছেন, চিনা সংস্থাগুলি কোন পরীক্ষায় পাশ করতে হবে তেমন ভাবেই সিরাপ বানিয়ে দিতে পারে বলে দাবি করেছে। তাই অনেকেই বলছেন, জার্মানিতে যে পরীক্ষায় ভেজাল ধরা পড়েছে সেই পরীক্ষাকেও বুড়ো আঙুল দেখানোর পদ্ধতি বের করেছে কিনা, কে জানে?

अनेक िड्या कीं पन्या मधाच्या नावाखाली षवकतात साखरेचा पाक; CSE चा दावा

अनेक बड्या कंपन्या मधाच्या नावाखाली साखरेचा पाक विकत असल्याची धक्कादायक बाब समोर आली आहे. सेंटर फॉर सायन्स अँड एनवायरमेंटनं (CSE) केलेल्या तपासातून ही बाब उघड झाली आहे. सर्वाधिक मध तयार करणाऱ्या कंपन्या मधामध्ये साखर मिसळत असल्याचं या तपासाद्वारे समोर आलं आहे. सीएसईनं १३ छोट्या मोठ्या कंपन्यांच्या मधाचे नमूने तपासले. या कंपन्यांच्या मधात ७७ टक्क्यांपर्यंत भेसळ असल्याचं दिसून आलं. मधाच्या २२ मापदंडांपैकी काही कंपन्या केवळ ५ मापदंडांमध्ये खऱ्या उतरल्याचं माहिती देण्यात आली. सीएसईनं केलेल्या अभ्यासात पतंजली, डाबर, बैद्यनाथ, झंडू, हितकारी आणि एपिस हिमालयसारख्या कंपन्यांचा मध शुद्धतेचं प्रमाण तपासणाऱ्या न्युक्लिअर मॅग्नेटिक रेझोनन्स (NMR) या चाचणीत अयशस्वी ठरले. परंतु डाबर आणि पतंजलीनं या चाचणीवर प्रश्नचिन्ह उपस्थित केलं आहे. दरम्यान, कंपनीची प्रतीमा मलिन करण्याचा या चाचणीमागील प्रयत्न असल्याचं या कंपन्यांचं म्हणणं आहे. आम्ही भारतात नैसर्गिक रित्या मिळणारा मधच एकत्र करतो आणि त्याची विक्री करतो, असा दावाही या कंपन्यांकडून करण्यात आला आहे. दरम्यान, यामध्ये फूड सेफ्टी अँड स्टँडर्ड अथॉरिटीच्या (FSSAI) नियमांचं योग्यरित्या पालन करण्यात आल्याचं कंपन्यांनी म्हटलं आहे. “आमच्या कंपनीचा मध १०० टक्के शुद्ध आहे. तसंच जर्मनीमध्ये झालेल्या एमएमआर चाचणीतही तो यशस्वी ठरला होता. आम्ही ठरवण्यात आलेले २२ मापदंड पूर्ण करतो. नुकताच जो अहवाल समोर आला तो प्रायोजित असल्याचं वाटत आहे,” असं डाबरच्या प्रवक्त्यांकडून सांगण्यात आलं. “आम्ही १०० टक्के नैसर्गिक मध तयार करतो. प्रक्रिया केलेल्या मधाला अधिक प्रमोट केलं जावं यासाठी नैसर्गिकरित्या मध तयार करणाऱ्या कंपन्यांच्या बदनामीचा हा प्रयत्न आहे,” अशी प्रतिक्रिया पतंजलीचे आचार्य बालकृष्ण यांनी दिली. यापूर्वी एफएसएसआयनं देशात आयात केला जाणारा मध गोल्डन सिरप, इनव्हर्ट शूगर सिरप आणि राईस सिरपची भेसळ करून विकला जात असल्याचं आयातदारांना आणि राज्यांच्या खाद्य आयुक्तांना सांगितलं होतं. दरम्यान सीएसईच्या टीमनं याची माहिती घेतली असता एफएसएसएआयनं ज्या गोष्टींची भेसळ होत असल्याची माहिती दिली होती ती उत्पादनं आयात केली जातच नसल्याचं समोर आलं. चीनमधील कंपन्या फ्रक्टोजच्या रूपात हे सिरप भारतात पाठवतात. “२००३ आणि २००६ मध्ये सॉफ्ट ड्रिंकच्या केलेल्या तपासणीत त्यात जी भेसळ दिसून आली त्यापेक्षा भयानक भेसळ ही मधात केली जात आहे. ही भेसळ आपल्या शरीराला अपायकारक आहे. ज्या १३ मोठ्या कंपन्यांच्या मधाचे नमूने तपासले गेले त्यापैकी १० एनएमआर चाचणीत अयोग्य ठरले. या १० पैकी ३ नमूने भारतीय मापदंडानुसारही नव्हते,” अशी माहिती सीएसईच्या महासंचालक सुनीता नारायण यांनी दिली.