As a measure to check adulteration in jaggery products, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has asked the jaggery production unit owners to install closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs) on their premises or face action.
A release from the District Collector said adulterated jaggery was in bright yellow colour produced with super phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, sodium hydrosulphite, calcium carbonate, caustic soda and other chemicals.
Also, maida, ration rice and refined sugar were used for adulteration in making jaggery (urundai vellam), sugarcane jaggery (nattu sakkarai), achu vellam and palm jaggery (karupatti).
The release said consuming the adulterated products led to problems in the kidney and stomach.
Many producers were involved in producing adulterated jaggery in the district and to curb the practice, surveillance cameras should be installed to cover all the operations from the arrival of raw materials to dispatch of the final product.
If adulteration was found, action would be taken as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011, the Collector said.
Warning
The Collector warned that action would be taken against the adulterers and asked people to lodge complaints related to adulteration through Whatsapp number 94440-42322.
Also, they could contact the Food Safety Department at 0424-2223545, the release added.
Officials said the colour of unadulterated jaggery was dark brown and of adulterated jaggery light brown, deep yellow and pale yellow. Consumers should be aware of it and purchase only light brown jaggery products, they added.
