Madras High Court: Test tapioca sago varieties for adulteration

Justice SM Subramaniam, who heard the petition, urged the Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety and Drug department to test and report the nature of tapioca sago varieties, which were given by the court to the government. The ruling came on a petition moved by a Namakkal-based sago farmer, N Natarajan who stated that he had to stop cultivating tapioca in his two acres of land after facing heavy losses.

He submitted through his counsel that manufacturers are adulterating the sago after procuring them from farmers.

“To make and show Javarishi (sago) attractive with brilliant white colour, the manufacturers mix several chemicals while making sago. They also use stone powder and lime-stone powder and manufacture the Javarishi. These powders are mixed to increase the weight. However, the chemicals adulterated in sago are causing complications like stomachache, skin allergy, and could even cause cancer and kidney ailments,” the petitioner submitted.

The petitioner claimed that he and other farmers had submitted petitions to the food safety department to stop the adulteration.

“We even staged a protest. The original sago is made out from skin peeled out from tapioca, and prepared without mixing any chemicals,” the petitioner mentioned.

Government Advocate KMD Mukilan submitted that the food safety department has been conducting nine different tests to ensure the quality of sago.

However, Justice SM Subramaniam passed directions to the Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety to test three varieties of sago that the court handed over to the government at the laboratory in Guindy.

“The report should be submitted before the court on October 7. It should explain the nature and the effect of the product and health issues involved,” the HC said.