Bread sales dropped in parts of Mumbai on Tuesday a day after the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released its report on a survey done in the national Capital that found cancer-causing chemicals in leading bread brands.
The CSE on Tuesday released its report that stated that nearly 84 per cent of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate, which are banned in many countries as they are listed as “hazardous” for public health. The report stated that while one of the chemicals is a category 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans), the other could trigger thyroid disorders but India has not banned their use.
Grocery store owners and sandwich vendors that dot the metropolis saw a sharp drop in business within hours of the report’s release. “We normally sell half of the stock by noon, but sales have been poor since morning today,” said Niro Satra of Chunnilal Store at Bandra (W).
At a grocery store at Churchgate the bread stocks that were delivered early morning were lying unsold. Some shopkeepers remained optimistic. “A slight movement in the sales is very normal, but it’s too early to decide whether there is a considerable drop,” said Sameer Chheda of Jyoti Store at Churchgate. On average, there was a 10-20 per cent drop in sales of bread in pockets of south Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and the western suburbs.
A hawker who makes sandwiches near Churchgate railway station said he sold just a fraction of the total sandwiches that he sells at lunch time every day.
By end of day, sandwich vendors were counting losses. “This has been a bad month. First they dug up the road where my stall is located, then the school vacations started and now this report. We have seen better days when we made around Rs 2,400 to even Rs 3,200 on some days. The drop in business today was sharp and we made just about Rs 1,600,” said Mohammed Arif, another sandwich maker.
Local bakeries denied the presence of any chemicals in their breads. “We do not use any chemicals in the bread. The sales are fine,” maintained an official of Relish Breads, which is based out of Kurla.
In an e-mailed response to The Hindu , a KFC spokesperson said: “Our suppliers have confirmed that they do not use potassium bromate or potassium iodate to manufacture our products.”
The writer is an intern with The Hindu
The report said one of the chemicals found in pre-packaged bread is a Category 2B carcinogen, but isn't banned in India
