Rajya Sabha echoed with urgent pleas for food safety as AAP leader Raghav Chadha unleashed a scathing critique of adulteration plaguing Indian kitchens. On Wednesday, he exposed how profit-driven companies peddle poison disguised as daily necessities, endangering vulnerable populations like kids, the elderly, and expectant mothers.
From urea-spiked milk to oxytocin-pumped veggies, Chadha listed the horrors: paneer bloated with starch and caustic soda, detergent-laced ice creams, artificially colored juices, engine oil in edible oils, brick powder in masalas, synthetic dyes in tea, steroids in chicken, and vanaspati masquerading as pure ghee in mithai. A mother’s loving glass of milk for her child’s calcium and protein? It’s a toxic brew of urea and soap.
Backing his claims with data, Chadha cited studies showing 71% urea contamination in milk and 64% neutralizers. Milk sales outstrip genuine production, while 25% of veggie samples over a decade screamed adulteration. He spotlighted the hypocrisy: Indian spice giants blacklisted overseas for cancer-causing pesticides continue thriving at home.
‘What we reject for animals abroad, we swallow blindly here,’ Chadha said, voice heavy with concern. His solutions pack punch—bolster FSSAI’s manpower and infrastructure, impose steeper fines, enforce transparent recalls that publicly humiliate offenders, and crack down on false advertising. This isn’t just a health issue; it’s a national betrayal demanding swift justice.