Salem: With Pongal festivities approaching, officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are currently conducting raids on jaggery manufacturing units in Salem and Namakkal districts to check adulteration, reported The Hindu.
Salem and Namakkal districts, known for extensive sugarcane cultivation, house jaggery manufacturing units in Omalur, Karuppur, Mecheri, Edappadi, Deevattipatti, Edappadi, and Konganapuram localities in Salem, as well as the Paramathi Velur block in Namakkal. In anticipation of Pongal, jaggery production in these units has escalated since the second week of December.
Food Safety officials highlight that approximately 100 to 120 kg of jaggery can be derived from one tonne of sugarcane. Some farmers, aiming for increased profits, engage in adulteration by blending crystal white sugar with sugarcane juice to produce jaggery. This adulteration often involves the incorporation of chemicals such as superphosphate, sodium bicarbonate, soda ash, sodium hydrosulfate, synthetic food color, and maida into sugarcane juice, posing potential health risks to consumers.
R. Kathiravan, designated officer of FSSAI in Salem district, said that in the past one week, about 56 tonnes of crystal sugar, stocked for adulteration, was seized. “We are planning to conduct raids in jaggery markets too. In Salem district, there are a total of 186 licensed jaggery manufacturing units, and as per the instructions of the Food Safety Department, all these units have installed CCTV cameras,” Mr. Kathiravan said.
