Tripura: Beware of ‘Fake Eggs’, alerts FSSAI on mid day meals!

With the direction of The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Tripura government issued alert to each school of the state implementing mid day meal scheme for upper primary level students to beware from fake eggs in the dish.

According to FSSAI communication sent to the state governments, fake eggs containing artificial and injurious element have imported into Indian market from neighbouring country. In recent times, FSSAI was reported the presence of fake eggs in several states including Kerala.

Director of the state's elementary education U K Chakma said that FSSAI has alerted the state government to be careful in procuring and consumption of eggs in mid-day meal in the schools. Immediately after the communication of FSSAI reached to the state, the instruction passed on to the field level officers.

"All District Education Officers have asked to make the teachers of the schools about fake eggs where mid-day meal program is running. Egg meal is well accepted in Tripura and the state government is also preferred to offer egg dish as balance diet for the children. Now we are thinking twice before offering eggs in the mid day meal," Chakma said.

He however, pointed out that the department has also requested the teachers responsible for mid-day meal program in the schools besides, inspectors and field level officers to ensure the quality of the eggs before including them into the dish.

The direction of the government has put teachers into trouble to identify the quality of eggs.

The Vatnary experts indicated that the fake eggs look reddish in colour and maintained, instead of panicking, people can check whether the egg is real or fake. The fake eggs are injurious to human health and consumption of artificial elements contents caused dementia.

"Candling – a process of holding the egg above light in a dark room – is one method. We could clearly see the yolk and how it lies suspended in the egg. Boiled eggs too can be inspected. The eggs have special features like an air sack on one end, which gets bigger as it gets older. There will be various layers in an egg, which is impossible to be produced artificially," an expert said.

In recent laboratory test, Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) found presence of formalin in the fish that adds woes into the concern of human health.

Pioneer public advocacy group of the state Association for Research on People and Nature (ARPAN) in its latest survey revealed chemicals like copper sulphate, rhodamine oxide, malachite green and the deadly carbide have been used to accentuate coloration and freshness for vegetables and fruits.

"Ethane, calcium carbide and ethephon are commonly used for faster ripening. The soft, shiny red exterior of tomatoes or the lush, green texture of peas and leafy veggies might tempt one's taste buds and their freshness might appeal to the eyes, but there lies something sinister beneath – a toxic concoction of hazardous chemicals," the study group said.

They also pointed out that unscrupulous fish wholesalers are using formalin, a toxic and carcinogenic chemical commonly used to preserve dead bodies in mortuaries, to prevent fish from deteriorating in store at least for 10-20 days.

The growth hormones injected to poultry birds have been brought to market without maintaining compulsory waiting period; the survey team observed and added the same practices are being continuously followed in agricultural field, which affecting central nervous system and normal upbringing of the children.

The report also highlighted that hazardous Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow, Carmosine, Ponceau-4R, Erythrosine, Brilliant Blue, Indigo Carmine, Fast Green are used in bakery and sweets without any scientific standard.

"Consumption of these chemicals causes hyper activity in children, skin rashes, hay fever, depression, breathing problems, normal development of children and damage unborn babies," said health experts of the study team.