It was not always as glamorous and lavish for Adam Levine. The singer worked at a restaurant after his first record deal fell through.
Reflecting on the initial years of his career, the singer said that he took a job in the food outlets after his first gig into the music industry didn’t work out.
“Technically my first job was a musician because I got signed to a record label at a young age, so I did get paid for that. But then I got a job at Johnny Rockets when that record deal didn’t work out, and then I got a job as a (production assistant) on a TV show actually,” People quoted Levine as saying.
The ‘Girls Like You’ also revealed that ‘Electric Avenue’ was the first single he ever bought. “I bought a single, ‘Electric Avenue,’ by Eddy Grant, and I played it incessantly in the car. My parents went absolutely nuts,” Levine said.
Sharing many of his other first and favorites, Levine said his dad took him to see his first concert ever, “My dad took me to go see Warrant. I was 11. It was Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich tour. It was crazy.”
While the singer is known for his unbeatable guitar skills, the very first instrument he ever learned to play was Piano. “I hated it. I had, like, one recital. The first instrument I really played was guitar and then drums” the American singer said.
Adam Levine has produced some amazing soundtracks in his music career and has bagged many prestigious awards for the same, including Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Award, American Music Award, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and MTV Video Music Award.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday denied relief to Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case and refused to stay trial court proceedings.
The court has adjourned the case for the next two weeks.
The Supreme Court on Monday had asked the Bombay High Court to hear Lieutenant Colonel Purohit’s plea challenging the validity of the prosecution sanction for his trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
A Special NIA Court had earlier commenced a trial against Lieutenant Colonel Purohit and six other accused in the case. On September 29, 2008, a bomb placed in a tiffin box tied to a motorcycle near a mosque in Malegaon exploded killing six people and injuring many.
On October 30, the court had framed charges against Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi, accusing them of a terror conspiracy, murder, and other related offences.
Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, an Army officer, was arrested the same year for allegedly masterminding the blasts.
Robert De Niro has split from Grace Hightower after over 20 years of marriage.
According to the reports, the couple has confirmed that they are no longer together and are expected to announce the same in the coming week.
“They are not living together at this time,” a source close to the couple said.
De Niro and Hightower got hitched in 1997 after dating for about a decade. De Niro met Hightower in 1987 when she was working at famed eatery Mr. Chow in London. They share two children together, son Elliott (20) and daughter Helen Grace (6).
According to a online portal, in 2004, the Hollywood couple renewed their vows in front of some A-list celebrities including Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Ben Stiller, and Tom Brokaw.
The two were last spotted together on the red carpet of the 72nd Annual Tony Awards in New York City.
Kareena Kapoor Khan has lauded the women who have had the courage to share their stories about harassment at the workplace.
The ‘Veere Di Wedding’ star stated that it is important to address these issues as the stories do provide impetus to women to speak up.
Kareena, who was speaking at a launch event of ‘What Women Want’, was asked if women require more than what the industry is giving in terms of security and safety.
“The fact that so many women have come out and spoken is a start. Earlier people have not spoken for years and today, people have come out and I really appreciate the women who had the courage to stand up and talk and that is going to help all of us change our workplace culture and give us security,” replied the actor.
The 38-year-old further said, “And whoever it is, big or small, there is no place (for them), it has to be safe. It doesn’t matter if you are the biggest superstar or the smallest, but women have to be secure and the most important thing is that we have to keep the momentum going. We have to keep the conversation alive and once we keep that alive, a lot will change.”
The ‘Takht’ star appreciated the change that the industry has witnessed over the past few months and said, “A lot has been assessed and a lot of stand has been taken. I am sure legal course is also being taken. So many women have spoken out and so much has happened. For years, people would hide behind the curtains but today, we are openly having a discussion about it. So, it’s a huge change.”
Shriya Pilgaonkar, who currently features in the web series “Mirzapur”, believes the industry is still discovering the digital medium.
Shriya, daughter of accomplished actors Sachin Pilgaonkar and Supriya Pilgaonkar, made her Bollywood acting debut with Shah Rukh Khan starrer “Fan”.
Shriya feels today creative people have the scope to shine in their own way through web series, which has emerged as one of the popular mediums of story telling.
“Like, in the case of Mirzapur’, (web series) we (female actors) may not have as much screen time as the men but when you watch the show, you will see every person has a good role. We are not passive. However, there is (also) some bad stuff here. People are still discovering it,” said Shriya to agencies.
As there is no censorship on the content available on the web, Shriya says sometimes one can misuse it.
“There were two-three web shows that came my way and there was unnecessary making out scenes… Today people use this thing to gain popularity,” she adds.
She believes the web space is “crowded” but one gets the time to explore oneself as an actor.
“When I do web shows, I want to do something that is good and different,” she adds.
In the Amazon Prime Video Original “Mirzapur”, she is happy to play a character that is not the typical “sweet, girl next door” character.
“Sweetie is fearless, strong girl, she is loyal and fighter. Sometimes you have to spoon feed filmmakers to let them know I am capable of this. I am happy the makers saw me in this role other than sweet, girl-next-door look. And that is the success as an actor.
It is an important milestone for the Indian space programme towards achieving reliance on launching heavier satellites and India slowly and steadily masters rocket science. Heartiest congratulations to ISRO team. We are proud of your every success and failures no matter how big or how small it is. If the rocket is significant for its muscle, satellite GSAT-29 is equally heady. If its transponders are to serve remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, it also features three hi-tech gadgets — a Q/V-Band communications payload, an optical communication payload and a high-resolution camera. All the three are demonstration gadgets. The first two are used mainly for inter-satellite and space-to-space communications. The significance of the Mark-III is that it considerably reduces India’s dependence on foreign launchers for taking up its heavy satellites. Now that the two developmental launches of the Mark- III have been completed, the rocket has been declared fit for operational runs, the first of which is likely to be in January, for the Chandrayaan-2 moon mission. ISRO has made the country proud.
– Nikhil Krishnan
2) Ram Temple issue – a ploy to win 2019 election
All the propagations by the leaders of Sangh and other organisations, that the government must bring in an ordinance to commence the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya is nothing but a ploy to win the upcoming elections in 2019. It is a reality that the BJP government has failed to fulfil most of its promises which it made in 2014 before it came to power. Whenever the election comes close they raise their voice as once again the Sanghs are raising this issue intentionally to divide the people in the name of religion. The people must understand this “divide and rule” policy and should not let the leaders divide our country.
– Mohd Rahmani
3) Trash collectors strike crippled the city
Trash collectors strike has crippled the city and hence, Garbage had piled up in central Mumbai. The Garbage menace is causing lots of discomfort and the accumulation is causing many health diseases in the city as well. Mumbai Garbage is dumped in one place and with the strike, the accumulation has increased to an enormous proportion. The waste management team should work in coordination with BMC and find an amicable solution. Housing Societies should be given guidelines to act in a safe way is disposing of garbage rather than just dumping in another place till the strike called off.
– C.K. Subramaniam
4) Security lapse of Delhi CM is a serious concern
Throwing chilly powder in the eyes of Delhi Chief Minister on November 20, 2018, by an unknown person in a highly secured building of Delhi Secretariat at Indraprastha Estate in New Delhi is a matter of serious security lapse and concern. Security officials providing security in Z security cover have a duty to take perfect care of the secured person, and can even ask the person under security to follow certain measures. It is unfortunate that a spokesperson of the ruling party at the centre without realising security norms, gave an irresponsible political statement terming the unfortunate incident as a pre-scripted drama of ruling party in Delhi State Assembly. However, the President of Delhi chapter of the ruling party at the centre commented with responsibility by terming the incident as undesirable.
Delhi Police and Union Home Ministry should investigate the matter in a politically unbiased manner, and to ensure perfect security to Delhi Chief Minister even though he may be asked to follow certain norms set for persons under Z security cover.
– Madhu Agrawal
5) Transparency audit of public authorities by CIC
Transparency audit report of compliance by public authorities now put on Central Information Commission (CIC) website is shocking with just 838 out of total 2,092 registered with CIC having responded till October 31, 2012, to the questionnaire sent by CIC on July 12, 2018, despite repeated reminders. Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and CIC should take the matter of not responding to the CIC questionnaire as a serious non-compliance to RTI mechanism through CIC issuing show cause notices to public authorities having deliberated avoiding responding to the CIC questionnaire.
It is also a cause of worry that only 19 per cent of responding public authorities could qualify for A-grade with a score above 90 per cent while majority 35 per cent of public authorities were placed in lowest category E with a score less than 60 per cent with some public authorities even getting zero percent score. For motivating top scorers and shaming low scorers, DoPT and CIC should give media advertisements about top ten public authorities having scored highest and lowest scores respectively. DoPT and CIC should call a meeting of departmental heads of public authorities put in E grade to ensure improving performance in a timebound manner. Otherwise, such constituting study committees is a mere wastage of public money.
Improving compliance of section 4-1-b of RTI Act can result in saving of huge public resources because various study reports reveal that number of RTI applications can be reduced by 60-70 per cent if there is a complete compliance of section 4-1-b of RTI Act by public authorities.
– Subhash Chandra Agrawal
6) Govt remains isolated from Tata-Jet merger issue
The recent move of Jet Airways takeover by Tata-SIA JV under Tata brand is an interesting development but is stuck with the ownership control tussles. Since the merger of Air Deccan with Kingfisher Airlines, Mergers and Acquisitions of airlines in the Indian aviation industry hasn’t tasted much success owing to board and ownership control issues, brand and legacy yardstick, FDI norms, high operational factors including oil prices, financial bailout obligations, regulatory issues like 5/20 rule, high ATF issues etc . No airline has been able to achieve a success to run with a merged entity; with the exception of Jet-Ethidad and whose partnership will cease shortly. Also, of late some airlines have avoided a complete control of an Indian run airline entity but have instead formed a code-sharing agreement to thrive on operational cost savings and protect the image.
The Tata’s demand made to Jet Airways for a non-compete agreement along with complete exit of Naresh Goyal’s helm at Jet board indicates the brand’s desperateness to fly and dominate across the Indian skies. The takeover if successful, will give the Tatas a major brand boost and great market share with all four airlines (i.e. Air Asia, Jet Airways, Vistara and Singapore Airlines) on board. This move will further make the existing LCC operators isolated in the market share and fend for themselves in the Indian skies. Also, as Air India has been isolated yet again with a status-quo related to its stake sale, it is obvious that the government has distanced itself from Tata-Jet merger issue and has even remained isolated in the markets.
If this big-ticket airline stake sale is successful, the Indian skies will witness be a major comeback of a new popular aviation brand under the aegis of Tata Sons. As the yet to be merged entity has two international carriers already on board, it needs to seen as to how the DGCA’s 5/20 rule to fly on international routes will be complied. The consumers, on the other hand, are however only bothered about safer planes to fly with well-trained pilots onboard, better services, wider reach with new destinations and cheaper flying options.
– Varun Srinivas
7) Kohli’s cry for better batsmanship
It is indeed a strange situation that the Indian team captain touring Australia looking for the batsmen to step up and come out of the rut. We have a suspect opening pair, the middle order caves in if the pace bowlers get the right areas to pitch and the tail rarely wags on an overseas tour and it was always fighting back to the ball. A team not capable of facing new ball and fast bowlers on seaming wickets is the number one side in Test Cricket. Fear of facing fast bowling on seaming overseas wickets is the root cause for all the worries in recent times. Sledging or no sledging, our batsmen should play with a straight bat and put up a brave front and not look for excuses all the times. Touring teams coming to India face such tough situations but still win test series in India and upset the apple cart. It is time to think and plan positive rather than disillusioned with the pace race in the International cricket.
– Akhilesh Krishnan
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Embattled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday he has no plans to resign, sounding defiant after a rough year for the social platform.
“That’s not the plan,” Zuckerberg told CNN Business when asked if he would consider stepping down as chairman.
He also defended Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, who has drawn criticism over her handling of the social media giant’s recent crises.
“Sheryl is a really important part of this company and is leading a lot of the efforts for a lot of the biggest issues we have,” said Zuckerberg.
“She’s been an important partner to me for 10 years. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done together and I hope that we work together for decades more to come.”
Facebook has stumbled from one mess to another this year as it grappled with continuing fallout from Russia’s use of the platform to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election, the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which user data was harnessed in a bid to help candidate Donald Trump, and a huge security breach involving millions of accounts.
Most recently, an investigative piece published last week by The New York Times said Facebook misled the public about what it knew about Russia’s election meddling and used a PR firm to spread negative stories about other Silicon Valley companies and thus deflect anger away from itself.
“It is not clear to me at all that the report is right,” Zuckerberg said of the Times article.
“A lot of the things that were in that report, we talked to the reporters ahead of time and told them that from everything that we’d seen, that wasn’t true and they chose to print it anyway.”
Zuckerberg also defended his company against the broader wave of flak it has taken this year.
“A lot of the criticism around the biggest issues has been fair, but I do think that if we are going to be real, there is this bigger picture as well, which is that we have a different world view than some of the folks who are covering us,” he said.
“There are big issues, and I’m not trying to say that there aren’t… But I do think that sometimes, you can get the flavour from some of the coverage that that’s all there is, and I don’t think that that’s right either.
On Diwali day, I was at a movie theatre. While a few were searching their seats a few were in a hurry to order snacks. At this point of time, the commercial advertisements were on at the screen. While the commotion was on, the announcement comes to stand up for the National Anthem. When it started, I stood, as a mark of respect, and started observing the audience’s reaction.
My seat was in the last row and I could clearly see the entire auditorium from the top. Barring a young lady who was with her infant, everyone stood – a few started singing the Anthem. Those who were in search of their seats stood back to show their respect. A few were indeed slow to stand up from their seats! What was surprising is that a little girl of around 8 or 9 years was singing the anthem loudly without shyness – her voice was echoing in the auditorium. I could not control my happiness and I congratulated her profusely.
The modified Court order says that the people need not stand up (in Cinema halls) to show their patriotism. But this court order is taken very supportively. Irrespective of this, what I feel is that one should retrospect and decide. The respect for the National Flag and national anthem comes first under basic etiquette and the feeling for the nation should come on its own. By standing, we are showing respect and gratitude to the country.
While going on an evening walk, a senior club was playing the national anthem at the beginning of their monthly programme and I stopped at that time to pay my respect. But to my surprise, even those who were walking alongside with me and people walking opposite to me were all falling in line to pay respect. People still believe and respect the national spirit in their actions but the intolerant people unnecessarily make it a big issue and fight even for issues concerning the real spirit of the daily routine.
India is a secular country and after getting Independence on August 14, 1947, we have the right to express your views and nobody can stop you from giving valuable suggestions. Newspapers play a positive role in bringing the views of the readers by including them in Letters to the editor column. It gives an opportunity to the reader to give his/her frank opinion.
The flag is the symbol of India’s sovereignty. It is quite imperative that all the residents of India and that include city residents too, respect the National Flag. Further, the Union Ministry in its notification has instructed Plastic flags should not be used at all. We must respect that and prevent usage of Plastic flags. Once the celebrations are over, it is our utmost duty to check that the flags should not lie on the roads. It is also quite imperative to stand in silence for the National Anthem.
There is a need for paying respect to National Anthem. There may be modifications in the rules, but we feel proud to respect our flag when National anthem is played in cinema halls. Modifying its earlier order ordering that everybody must stand while the National Anthem is played in theatres, the Supreme Court clarified that the audience need not stand if the anthem is part of a film.
The apex court opined that the audience need not stand up when the National Anthem is played. It is not compulsory to sing the National Anthem in cinema halls. There is also no need to stand up if it is a part of the film, the apex court clarified. The Supreme Court had ordered cinema halls across the nation to mandatorily play the national anthem before the screening of a movie and the audience must stand and show respect.
The Supreme Court refused to give an urgent hearing on a plea seeking direction for framing of a policy to promote and propagate the National Anthem, National Flag and National Song. The time has come when citizens must realise they live in a nation and are duty-bound to show respect to the National Anthem which is a symbol of constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality and hence there is no compulsion.
The tricolour instils in us a sense of great pride, no matter what the platform and the confidence level take you to the skies. India is my country and all the Indians are my brothers are sisters — this rings in my mind throughout the day and the year around.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Adulteration in milk is not a new thing. I remember when I was a small child, a milkman used to carry those typical measurements and a big milk can on his bicycle to deliver milk door to door. My grandmother used to pour few drops on the floor by questioning the milkman: “Aaj Bhi Dudh Me Paani Milaya Kya? Doodh Patla Lag Raha Hai (Have you added water in the milk? Its consistency is thin.)”. This was the repetitive question to the milkman. Since childhood we knew that the milk is most commonly diluted with water — this not only reduces its nutritional value, but contaminated water can also cause additional health problems. But as the time changed and we adapted the modern ways of storing or packing milk, the adulteration has reached a dangerous level. The other adulterants used are mainly detergent, foreign fat, starch, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), sugar, urea, pond water, salt, maltodextrin, sodium carbonate, formalin, and ammonium sulphate. It has been a cause of concern for both the government and the Dairy Industry. The Indian Council of Medical Research has reported, “Milk adulterants have hazardous health effects. The detergent in milk can cause food poisoning and other gastrointestinal complications. Its high alkaline level can also damage body tissue and destroy proteins. Other synthetic components can cause impairments, heart problems, cancer or even death. While the immediate effect of drinking milk adulterated with urea, caustic soda and formalin is gastroenteritis, the long-term effects are far more serious.”
Contaminated milk continues to be sold in Maharashtra despite crackdown measures taken by the authorities. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), had, in a study, found that 20 per cent of the milk is adulterated. Though the study prompted immediate action and licences of 21 dairies to be suspended, yet, there is no respite. In another study, the NGO, Consumer Guidance Society of India (CSGI) Mumbai has found that 78.12 per cent of milk available in the open market, purchased/sampled by consumers and tested by CGSI does not comply with the FSSAI standards.
India produces a little over 105 million tonnes (mt) of milk annually and out of this, Mumbai consumes 1.65 mt. Of that, 0.61 million tonnes is substandard and adulterated. The problem is not restricted to just within the state. In 1999, Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Centre tested 28 brands of packed milk and two samples of loose milk from Ambawadi and Ambica, local dairies. All the 30 brands failed in microbiological parameters specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Most brands had coliform and E-Coli. Twenty-one samples failed fat content standards and four failed solid non-fat parameters. Preservatives were found in 12 samples and pesticide residues in 27. Heavy metals such as copper, lead, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury were also found. Milk from Gujarat comes into Maharashtra.
Milk adulteration takes place in the open and in areas like Antop Hill, Saki Naka, Kurla, Kurar village, Dahisar Baithi chawl, and Dharavi in Mumbai. In September 2005, the then deputy chief minister RR Patil along with the then Mumbai police crime branch had seized 10,000 litres of adulterated milk from slums in Kapaswadi (Andheri), Khar Danda, Vatsala Naik Nagar (Kurla), and Babhai Naka (Borivali) and arrested 39 people, who were charged with adulteration and forgery. Later on, they all were released on bail by paying some fine and back to the same business. The laws are weak and that is the reason such practices are not stoppable. Moreover, the FDA does not have a dedicated food testing laboratory of its own. It has asked the state government to set up six such laboratories in six divisional headquarters. The FDA now has to depend on the state public health department laboratory in Mumbai and Pune, and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) laboratory at Dadar, where testing sometimes takes more than the stipulated 40 days. The state legislature had also come with a proposal to make milk adulteration a non-bailable offence but it is still in the draft stage.
Reports of substandard and adulterated food frequent the front pages of the newspapers. Samples of items we consume daily — milk, pulses, oils, vegetables, sugar among many others — have been rated substandard. While it is difficult to track the production process and locate the item’s source, simple tests can help you distinguish a pure sample from an adulterated one.
To find out water in milk, put a drop of milk on a polished, slanting surface. While pure milk either stays or flows slowly leaving a white trail behind, adulterated milk flows immediately without leaving a mark. To find out detergent in milk, Take 5-10 millilitres (ML) of milk sample and the equal quantity of water; shake the mixture thoroughly. If the milk is adulterated with detergent, it forms dense lather but pure milk will have a thin layer of foam.
Detecting starch in milk and milk products, boil 2-3 ml of the sample (milk, khoya, chenna or paneer) with 5 ml of water for other ghee and butter, water need not be added. Add 2-3 drops of tincture of iodine after letting it cool. Formation of a blue colour indicates the presence of starch.
Food adulteration is a global concern and developing countries are at higher risk associated with it due to lack of monitoring and policies. However, this is one of the most common phenomena that have been overlooked in many countries. Unfortunately, in contrast to common belief, milk adulterants can pose serious health hazards leading to fatal diseases. Just reading the news and condemning the act is not enough, we as responsible citizens need to be more alert and smart in diagnosing what we receive and consume.
Stay healthy and stay fit!
(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
Frauds are quite rampant in today’s time and the dairy industry is not immune. As per a recent study and analysis conducted by the Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), your daily glass of good health can be a cause of panic as it is found that 78.12 per cent of milk selling in Maharashtra is adulterated and does not comply with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) standard specifications.
CGSI tested 690 samples over a period of January to October 2018. Out of the total samples, 228 samples were branded ones and 462 were unbranded samples. This undoubtedly can never be a favourable news for the Indians, where milk is widely used than any other country, that only 151 samples of the total comply with the standards laid down by the FSSAI, which is only 21.88 per cent. Amongst the branded milk samples, only 20.61 per cent are FSSAI standard specified, the rest of lot does not specify to the standards and amongst the loose unbranded samples, only 22.51 per cent comply with the FSSAI standard specifications.
It’s been a long time that both the government and the Dairy Industry are struggling against the adulteration in milk and the offenders. This is an act of intentionally reducing the quality of milk and selling it either by admixture or a substitution of inferior substances. Diluting with water is one of the most common ways of milk adulteration. Besides being really inferior in its nutritional value, contaminated water can also cause additional health problems. The other adulterants used are mainly detergent, foreign fat, starch, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), sugar, urea, salt, maltodextrin, sodium carbonate, formalin, and ammonium sulphate.
Vipin Dera, a milkman from Andheri, regretted how small businessmen like him get harassed because of the big dairy industry fraudsters. He sighed over, “I don’t sell packaged milk as I own a cattle farm. I agree that adding water to the milk is one of the easiest tricks followed in the market, but the ones who sell chemicals in the name of milk are the biggest culprits. A part of the dairy industry cheats customers and stuff their pocket with extra money but never get caught. However, the ones, who don’t adulterate milk, are getting trapped in the loop despite being faultless.”
In an effort to crackdown the nuisance, the state government had made adulteration of milk a non-bailable offence, though it hardly made any difference to the adulterators and the traders and the recent study is a big disappointment and a cause of fret. Although inadequate monitoring and lack of proper law enforcement have led the situation to become the worst!
Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam asserted, “The data regarding adulterated milk revealed by the CGSI is quite shocking. If the government is allowing the supply of such impure milk, it is an alarming situation! The government must take actions against those who are involved in this adulteration racket and stop this immediately as it is dangerous for the health of people in the city as well as the state. After implementation of the process to stop milk adulteration, the administration must check that the FSSAI criteria are being fulfilled by all the milk manufacturers.”
India is the world’s largest milk producer and milk products. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, the FSSAI, an autonomous body set under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has an aim to implement food safety and regulation in India as well as protecting and promoting public health.
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna chief Raju Shetti stated, “I don’t think that the data put forth by the CGSI is much reliable but I agree that adulteration does exist. The water-mixed milk doesn’t affect the health and isn’t much injurious but in the current period of time, the adulteration of chemicals in the milk is a major cause of concern. Hence, the government should be strict against the milk mafias what they are not. Loose law and order help the mafias take advantage and loot the customers.”
Commenting on the analysis report, CGSI states Chairman Dr. Sitaram Dixit said, “Milk forms an essential nutritive food portion for most humans and that it needs to comply with the FSSAI standards. In comparison to the last year’s test results, poor quality milk on sale has actually increased by 8 per cent.” On one hand, while it is highly difficult for the common man to track the production process and locate the item’s source, FSSAI’s guidelines mentions simple tests that can help distinguish a pure sample from an adulterated one.
In a conversation with Afternoon Voice, Dr. Dixit said, “According to me, the customers themselves are more responsible than anyone. During the survey, when we spoke to people, we got to know that they do not buy packaged milk from the authorised outlets but from the roadside milk sellers — while purchasing from a recognised store makes it possible to catch hold of the adulterator, it is not possible in the latter. The government should take strict action in checking whatever material comes out of the packaging units should follow the FSSAI standards. Diluting milk with water doesn’t affect the health per se, but it depends on the quality of water used!”
The fraudulent practices for financial gain in the dairy business, which is contemplated as the sequel of growing market demand, not only cheat consumers’ interest and rights but also very toxic for our health. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research report, detergent as milk adulterants can cause food poisoning and other gastrointestinal complications and its high alkaline level can also damage body tissue and destroy proteins. Other synthetic components can cause impairments, heart problems, cancer or even death.
What else can Milk Adulteration be called other than Food Fraud? Providing safe food is the least that the administration can assure the citizens of. Experts believe Food Fraud undermines confidence in the food supply and a genuine effort to enforce transparency and surveillance across the entire food supply chain can only combat the bummer.
