Paramedics to be trained to check food adulteration

The department is conducting the training for the government doctors and nurses, which will be extended to the paramedical staff by the Health department personnel of Greater Chennai Corporation. As part of the training, the paramedical staff will be trained to identify contamination in food and common adulterants used in food items.

An awareness programme on contaminated food and how it harms the people is also being conducted. The paramedical staff will aid in sensitising the people in the neighbourhood on adulteration of food and how one can report it to the Food Safety department officials. “The department usually conducts inspection of food items that are reported to be adulterated. We want to create awareness on identifying the adulterated food and adulterants. The food safety department can be informed on the identification of this type of contaminated food. The department would initiate further action upon inspection of the food,” said Vanaja Raj, additional commissioner of food safety department.

Common adulterants found in the food items in hotels, food outlets and roadside vendors are vegetable oils, ghee, water cans, artificial sweeteners, tea powder, spices and other seeds. Medicos say the food adulterants can cause serious illnesses and even worsen the chronic diseases an individual is suffering from.