How to stop being cheated when buying groceries

MID-DAY (MARCH 2002)

By Skimmy Gupta

Not just experienced con men, but even your neighbourhood bhaji wallah, dudhwallah, grocer or fruit seller can take you for a ride.

Which is why the Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), the Khar Residents' Association and the Khar Mohalla Committee organised a two-day exhibition on consumer awareness at Kamlabai Nimbkar Pustakalaya, Khar, on March 16 and 17.

Aimed at creating awareness on consumer rights and precautions to be taken while purchasing household items, the exhibition was inaugurated by Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar, chairperson of the State Women's Commission, Maharashtra.

The exhibition featured stalls by the Food & Drug Association (FDA), the Bureau of Indian Standards, the CGSI, Bharat Petroleum and Legal Metrology, a government organisation that deals with discrepancies in weights and measures.

Anandini Thakoor, managing trustee, Khar Residents Association, said, "Many residents complain of discrepancies in the weights and qualities of products they buy. So we thought of holding such an exhibition."

L G Rathod, food inspector, FDA, said, "If adulteration is detected, those responsible can be imprisoned for six months to three years and fined Rs 1,000 or more. Their licences can be confiscated. If a person falls ill due to consumption of adulterated food, life imprisonment of the culprit is also possible."

The CGSI introduced a kit detailing simple tests that help detect adulteration at home. Adulteration of chilli powder, spices and coloured mithai can be detected by sprinkling two drops of lemon juice on them. If adulterated, they turn black.

At their stall, commerce students of the SIWS College, Wadala, featured about 100 original and duplicate products including sweets, chocolates, talcum powders, oils, salts and cosmetics.

Professor Sailaja Ravindranath, vice principal, SIWS, said, "All these spurious items were collected by students from Dharavi, Kurla, Sewri, Worli and other places. They were able to collect duplicates of almost all leading brands, thus proving their easy availability."

At the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, stall consumers were asked to log on to www.ebharatgas.com to order cylinders. They could thus be sure of the quality of the product.

The Akhil Bhartiya Andshraddha Nirmalon Samiti stall presented chemical reactions that fake holy men pass off as their own special powers. Samiti member Chadrakant Jadhav said, "If someone is duped by a holy man, a police complaint can be filed and action can be taken against."

CGSI's Honorary General Secretary Shailendra Shroff said, "Consumers need to check the details of products at the time of purchase to ensure authenticity. Companies must also enforce rights in case of duplication, since they lead to a loss of market share and revenue. Any consumer who detects adulteration can contact us."


Look before you buy

* Read details printed on items, including price, date of expiry, weight, etc.

* If imported, items should bear importers'name, address, details and price in Indian currency.

* The lower part of the gas cylinder should bear the gas company's name.

* A genuine gas cylinder pipe will have the manufacturer's name, expiry date and ISI marking. It will be soft and flexible.

Cook's guide to chemistry

Here are a few tests you can perform at home to discover if something you bought is adulterated:

Tea

Common adulterant: Powdered and artificially coloured dry tea leaves.
Test: Sprinkle tea powder on wet white paper. If paper turns yellow or red, the tea is adulterated.

Butter and ghee

Common adulterant: Hydrogenated vegetable fat.
Test: Dissolve one spoon of sugar in 10 cc of hydrochloric acid. Add butter/ghee, shake for
a minute and allow to settle. If adulterated, the liquid turns red.

Asafoetida

Common adulterant: Resin/gum, colours.
Test: Pure asafoetida dissolves in water, forming a milky white solution.

Pure coffee
Common adulterant: Chicory.
Test: Pure coffee will float in cold water while chicory sinks.

Cumin (Jeera)
Common adulterant: Grass seeds, charcoal dust.
Test: If rubbed, hands will turn black.

Scented supari
Common adulterant: Saccharine substance, scented wood pieces
Test: Bitter aftertaste of saccharine; wood pieces float in water.