Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government’s disclosure in the Assembly has sparked concern over widespread food adulteration, including in well-known branded health supplements like Horlicks.
Responding to a query from Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Monday informed that Horlicks has been included on the state Health Department’s list of adulterated food items with fake or tampered versions of the health drink seized in several districts, including Boudh, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, and Mayurbhanj.
This was revealed after samples from all 30 districts were tested.
Besides Horlicks, various everyday food items available in the market have been found to be adulterated. These include bread, spices, mustard oil, sunflower oil, curd, biscuits, refined flour (maida), snacks, chhatua, sauces, soybeans, ghee, butter, sugar, papad, chocolates, noodles, and even edible salt.
The Health Department added that certain samples tested positive for harmful or toxic substances. Such practices are rampant particularly in Khurda district, where a large number of commonly consumed food items have been found to be adulterated.
Emphasising risks to children, the Health Minister advised parents to exercise caution when purchasing even reputed brands of food items and nutritional drinks. He stressed that adulteration now extends to packaged, branded goods, not just unregulated or loose products.
The Health Department has ramped up monitoring, raids, and regulatory actions to combat the problem and protect public health, he added.
