Food Safety / Is Your Everyday Food Safe to Eat? Odisha Minister Reveals Extent of Adulteration in Assembly
·1 month ago·4 min read
Key Points
- Odisha Health Minister informed the Assembly that adulterated food items, including rice, flour, oil, spices, and biscuits, were detected across 29 districts in 2024-25.
- Khordha reported the highest number of adulterated products, including chocolate, spices, flour, and beverages.
- The government has 63 food safety officers conducting raids; action is being taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 23: Food items ranging from rice and flour to edible oils and sattu were found adulterated across several districts of Odisha, the state Assembly was informed.
In a written reply in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Monday acknowledged that even branded and packaged food products were found to be impure. He was responding to an unstarred question by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati regarding the sale of adulterated food items.
Mahaling said the state government was fully alert to the issue of food adulteration and was taking action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. He said 63 food safety officers are currently deployed across all districts and urban local bodies. Regular raids are being conducted and food samples collected for testing. Suspected samples are sent to government laboratories for analysis.
The minister disclosed district-wise details of adulterated food items detected during the 2024–25 financial year up to January 2025.
In Angul, adulteration was detected in tea leaves and coriander powder. In Balasore, samples of biscuits, sattu, soya products, mustard oil and chicken masala failed quality tests. In Bhadrak, chilli sauce, garam masala, China salt, mustard oil, cake, semolina and sattu were found adulterated.
In Balangir, parboiled rice, semolina, noodles, tea leaves and soya products were flagged. In Boudh, Horlicks and sattu samples failed tests. In Cuttack, turmeric powder, coriander powder, sattu and flour were found adulterated.
In Deogarh, gathia, peanut laddoo and dates were detected as substandard. In Dhenkanal, semolina, Horlicks, tea leaves and dates were affected. In Gajapati, maida, custard powder and tomato ketchup were found adulterated.
In Ganjam, biscuits, soya products, chilli powder, cashew nuts and biryani masala were listed. In Jagatsinghpur, chilli powder, turmeric powder, Horlicks and gram flour failed tests. In Jajpur, chilli powder was found adulterated.
In Jharsuguda, biscuits and soybean oil were affected. In Kalahandi, palm oil, sunflower oil and biscuits were found substandard. In Kandhamal, mixture snacks and turmeric powder were detected as adulterated.
In Kendrapara, papad, sunflower oil, vanaspati, mustard products, chocolate, flavoured milk and noodles were listed. In Keonjhar, tea leaves, rice bran oil, biscuits and sunflower oil failed tests.
Khordha reported the highest range of adulterated items, including chocolate, dates, chia seeds, turmeric powder, salt, beverages, ragi flour, pink salt, butter, cookies, sugar, mustard oil, rice flour, gram flour, wheat flour, mayonnaise, chilli sauce, mixture snacks, maida, soya sauce, biscuits, tea leaves, chilli powder, spice powder and orange candy.
In Malkangiri, sunflower oil was found adulterated.
In Mayurbhanj, bottled water and Horlicks samples failed quality checks.
In Nayagarh, biscuits, maida, sunflower oil and flour were listed.
In Nuapada, rock salt, flour and sugar were detected as adulterated.
In Puri, pickles, arhar dal, vegetable masala, gram flour, sev, mixture snacks and flour were affected.
In Rayagada, chilli powder, sunflower oil, turmeric powder, semolina, rice flour, gram flour, biscuits, papad, paneer and ghee were found substandard.
In Sambalpur, soya products, turmeric powder, laddoo and biscuits were detected.
In Subarnapur, sattu, pickles, gram flour, biscuits, salt and sugar were listed.
In Sundargarh, chowmein, bottled water, chilli powder, ice cream, tomato sauce, rasgulla, cumin powder, chilli sauce, maida, coriander powder, turmeric powder, skimmed milk, gram flour, flour, sattu and chocolate were found adulterated.
Also Read: Is Your Child’s Horlicks Safe? Odisha Health Minister Reveals Shocking Data on Everyday Food
The minister said the findings covered the period up to January 2025 in the 2024–25 financial year.
Notably, several districts reported adulteration in food items for which they are known for significant production. For instance, parboiled rice was flagged in Balangir, while turmeric powder was found adulterated in Kandhamal.
In a written reply in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Monday acknowledged that even branded and packaged food products were found to be impure. He was responding to an unstarred question by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati regarding the sale of adulterated food items.
Mahaling said the state government was fully alert to the issue of food adulteration and was taking action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. He said 63 food safety officers are currently deployed across all districts and urban local bodies. Regular raids are being conducted and food samples collected for testing. Suspected samples are sent to government laboratories for analysis.
The minister disclosed district-wise details of adulterated food items detected during the 2024–25 financial year up to January 2025.
In Angul, adulteration was detected in tea leaves and coriander powder. In Balasore, samples of biscuits, sattu, soya products, mustard oil and chicken masala failed quality tests. In Bhadrak, chilli sauce, garam masala, China salt, mustard oil, cake, semolina and sattu were found adulterated.
In Balangir, parboiled rice, semolina, noodles, tea leaves and soya products were flagged. In Boudh, Horlicks and sattu samples failed tests. In Cuttack, turmeric powder, coriander powder, sattu and flour were found adulterated.
In Deogarh, gathia, peanut laddoo and dates were detected as substandard. In Dhenkanal, semolina, Horlicks, tea leaves and dates were affected. In Gajapati, maida, custard powder and tomato ketchup were found adulterated.
In Ganjam, biscuits, soya products, chilli powder, cashew nuts and biryani masala were listed. In Jagatsinghpur, chilli powder, turmeric powder, Horlicks and gram flour failed tests. In Jajpur, chilli powder was found adulterated.
In Jharsuguda, biscuits and soybean oil were affected. In Kalahandi, palm oil, sunflower oil and biscuits were found substandard. In Kandhamal, mixture snacks and turmeric powder were detected as adulterated.
In Kendrapara, papad, sunflower oil, vanaspati, mustard products, chocolate, flavoured milk and noodles were listed. In Keonjhar, tea leaves, rice bran oil, biscuits and sunflower oil failed tests.
Khordha reported the highest range of adulterated items, including chocolate, dates, chia seeds, turmeric powder, salt, beverages, ragi flour, pink salt, butter, cookies, sugar, mustard oil, rice flour, gram flour, wheat flour, mayonnaise, chilli sauce, mixture snacks, maida, soya sauce, biscuits, tea leaves, chilli powder, spice powder and orange candy.
In Malkangiri, sunflower oil was found adulterated.
In Mayurbhanj, bottled water and Horlicks samples failed quality checks.
In Nayagarh, biscuits, maida, sunflower oil and flour were listed.
In Nuapada, rock salt, flour and sugar were detected as adulterated.
In Puri, pickles, arhar dal, vegetable masala, gram flour, sev, mixture snacks and flour were affected.
In Rayagada, chilli powder, sunflower oil, turmeric powder, semolina, rice flour, gram flour, biscuits, papad, paneer and ghee were found substandard.
In Sambalpur, soya products, turmeric powder, laddoo and biscuits were detected.
In Subarnapur, sattu, pickles, gram flour, biscuits, salt and sugar were listed.
In Sundargarh, chowmein, bottled water, chilli powder, ice cream, tomato sauce, rasgulla, cumin powder, chilli sauce, maida, coriander powder, turmeric powder, skimmed milk, gram flour, flour, sattu and chocolate were found adulterated.
Also Read: Is Your Child’s Horlicks Safe? Odisha Health Minister Reveals Shocking Data on Everyday Food
The minister said the findings covered the period up to January 2025 in the 2024–25 financial year.
Notably, several districts reported adulteration in food items for which they are known for significant production. For instance, parboiled rice was flagged in Balangir, while turmeric powder was found adulterated in Kandhamal.
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