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Friday, July 5, 2013

FSSAI claims 65% of NCDEX black pepper tested is adulterated

MUMBAI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, an agency of the Health & Family Welfare Ministry, today said it has found traces of mineral oil in 60-65 per cent of the tested samples of the 6,500 tonnes pepper seized from warehouses of NCDEX in Kochi.  "We have tested 68 lots of pepper from the seized warehouses in Kerala and found 60-65 per cent of lots contain traces of mineral oil, which is not fit for human consumption," Commissioner of Food Safety, Kerala, Biju Prabhakar told PTI here.
The Food Safety and Security department of Kerala had sealed six NCDEX warehouses in Kochi which contained about 6,500 tonnes of pepper worth around Rs 300 crore, as it had found mineral oil adulteration after few sample checks. "There are a total of about 800 samples and the whole testing process is quite arduous. We are trying to speed it up and complete it within a month," Prabhakar said.
FSSAI is also in talks with Spices Board to work out the best possible solution to this crisis.
"The authority is yet to take a decision on whether to destroy the contaminated pepper or reprocess it to make it fit for human consumption," Prabhakar said, adding that the decision will be taken only after FSSAI officials' meeting with the Chairman of Spices Board next week.
The country produces nearly 65,000 tonnes of pepper and the seized quantity is 6,500 tonnes, a 10 per cent.
"The amount seized is quite big and destroying it will have huge impact on the lives of farmers and traders. Even though the FSSAI can independently decide if the pepper should be destroyed or reprocessed, we will consult with the Spices Board and then take a decision," he said.
Pepper futures have been temporarily halted on the NCDEX on alleged market manipulation by several brokers.
In May 2013, Food safety officers and officers of Spiecs Board based in Kochi had drawn samples from the sealed warehouses for analysis. The samples were drawn in presense of officers from NCDEX, NCMSL, JICS Logistics, and the physical market participants. These samples were tested at Spices Board laboratories. Mineral oil is termed as an adulterant under Food Safety and Securities Act.

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