Most sago or sabudana, the favourite ‘fasts’ food for Indians, is processed using carcinogenic chemicals like phosphoric acid and sodium hypochlorite and hence may come under the regulatory scanner shortly.
In this regard, a Tamil Nadu tapioca farmers’ body Kalkurichi Vellalapatti Vevasaikal Munnatra Sungam is all set to file an implead petition seeking testing of sago from across the country for presence of chemicals. This action will be sought further to an earlier PIL filed in the Madras High Court by the farmers who have been suffering heavy losses as demand in sago-eating states like Maharashtra waned ever since murky details on use of chemicals came out in the open.
“We will be filing a new implead petition in the Madras High Court on November 16 demanding inspections of sago at all India level. We will also be seeking a request for referral laboratory, Pune, for inspections to be conducted at all India level. This will enable us to know, how much adulterated sago is in circulation,” states R Chandrasekaran, secretary and petitioner, Kalkurichi Vellalapatti Vevasaikal Munnatra Sungam, Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, while revealing details on the way ahead.
Meanwhile, a tapioca farmer from Salem, Tamil Nadu, informed, “Some 95% of total sago produced in Tamil Nadu is adulterated with harmful chemicals, which is being contemplated by court. The units are lacking awareness on food safety and are not having proper technology for processing sago. The final hearing on the petition is on November 17, 2015. As a farmer I hope court takes stern action against the units violating the law.”
Chandrasekaran points out, “Today world has started looking for ‘organic’ everywhere, however, all sago industries are using bleaching agents to manufacture the sago.” It is this blatant use of chemicals, which prompted the Sungam to file a PIL, according to him. Chandrasekaran stresses, “Sago should be produced in an organic way. It should be tested in a referral lab to check if there is any adulteration. Sago should be tested in a lab and then it should go for selling in the market.” He adds, “Natural sago is the best sago.”
A farmer from Salem, rues, “Currently farmers like me are facing huge loss in tapioca. The tapioca produced by us is not being accepted by units because of decrease in demand in the northern market. But it is they who should understand that the decrease in demand is due to adulteration of sago with harmful chemicals.”
He shares further details, “Adulteration is taking place in Erode, Dharmapuri, Namakkal, Salem and two other districts. While processing tapioca to sago starch and the latter to pearls, harmful chemical like calcium hypochlorite, phosphoric acid, and sodium hypochlorite are used for bleaching. These chemicals can cause cancer and kidney diseases.”
Inspection, collection of samples
Earlier Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department (TNFSDAD) raided several processing units in the state. This led to discontent among the processors. However, farmers were happy with the move. Hence, while farmers continued sending truckloads of tapioca to processors, the latter, as a mark of protest, kept the units closed and refused to accept the deliveries.
Commenting on the inspections, Kumar Jayant, commissioner, food safety, Tamil Nadu, states, “This is a routine activity carried out by us. To ensure food safety, sampling and inspection happens on daily basis. After the test, if the product is not as per the standards, they are punished as per the stated law.”
When asked about the protests, he clarifies, “ Sago as a product has huge commercial value to farmers as well as processing units. Whenever government intervenes or questions commercial businesses and entrepreneurs such instances happen.”
Decreasing demand
With regard to fall in demand in northern states, especially Maharashtra, Arul Murugan, chairman, Sagoserve, a cooperative society for sago industry in Tamil Nadu, explains, “We have ample production of tapioca and the demand from northern states deteriorated affecting the sago business in Tamil Nadu. The fall in demand is seen largely in the state of Maharashtra due to rise in preference for sago substitute Mordhan or Bhagar in Maharashtra.”
Murugan confirmed that Sagoserve will be conducting research to find out the reasons behind the decreasing demand. Sagoserve will run advertisements in northern states to fetch more business and market.
Speaking on food safety precautions taken at Sagoserve, Murugan states, “We ensure whatever goes out in the market from Sagoserve is suitable for consumption. Government has prescribed three tests but to ensure safety we have additional six tests which makes it nine in total.”
On a concluding note, both farmers’ association and Sagoserve sought support from all concerned to replace chemically processed sago with organic sago, which is recommended for human consumption.
