Chemicals in Bangladeshi Food and Health Hazards
Basic food items like rice, fish, fruits, vegetables, sweetmeats, etc. are adulterated with hazardous chemicals like calcium carbide, oxytocin, ethephon, formalin, coating materials and different additives in an indiscriminate manner in Bangladesh. Food adulteration with poisonous chemicals has reached a dangerous proportion posing serious health hazards in the country people. Chemicals residues in food items leave the worst impact on children's mental and physical growth and women's fertility besides it causes cancer, and damage vital human organs like skin, eye, liver, kidney, lungs and heart. Some fruit items like guava, lemon, hog-plum etc. and some fish items like koi, magur, shing, pangas etc. are however still free from chemical aggression.
Introduction
Food is an essential element of life. The key food commodity in the human consumptions (fruits, vegetables fish & milk) are highly perishable due to their low shelf life which are reported to be contaminated with toxic and health hazardous chemicals. Chemicals like formalin, calcium carbide, ethephon, oxytocin, various coloring materials, various coating materials, etc are reportedly being used in food commodity for increasing the shelf life, artificial ripening, increasing the size of the commodities, make attractive the food commodities.
Food adulteration has become a very common practice in our country and we are consuming these foods almost every day, which have numerous harmful effects to our health. Food adulteration means anything adding or subtracting with food making it injurious to health. This adulteration may be done intentionally or unintentionally. Intentional adulteration is a criminal act and punishable offense. Food adulteration with poisonous chemical like formalin is widespread and regularly applied on fish, fruit, meat and milk that causes different types of cancers, asthma and skin diseases.
Calcium carbide, coloring dyes, urea, brunt engine oil and even some permitted preservatives are used in excessive amount that affect multiple organs of human body. Mostly it causes cancer like colon, peptic ulcer diseases, and chronic liver diseases including cirrhosis and liver failure, electrolyte imbalance and eventually kidney failure.
Heart diseases, blood disorders and bone marrow abnormality are also detected. Chance of malignancy increases and neurological impairment or brain functions are also often compromised. Skin problems are frequently seen including allergic manifestation.
We know it is a punishable offence and it creates health hazards and can kill human being, even then we forget everything just for business interest.
Now to save ourselves and our descendants, we have to fight all together against these ill trends of adulteration. Government should also take serious action with tougher law against those culprits.
We all should make aware the general people about the serious health impact of taking adulterated food. Such sincere community resistance can alter the scenario and we need to do it right now. Take care of your food means taking care of your health.
Discussion
The basic food items are Fresh food: Fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, milk, etc Processed food: Rice, milk, jam, jelly, chips, etc. and these food items are generally adulterated by using following chemicals-
� Calcium Carbide
� Oxytocin
� Ethephon
� Formalin
� Additives
� Different Coating materials
Calcium Carbide
Calcium carbide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula of CaC2. The pure material is colorless, however pieces of technical grade calcium carbide are grey or brown and consist of only 80-85% of CaC2 (the rest is CaO, Ca3P2, CaS, Ca3N2, SiC, etc.). Because of presence of PH3 (Phosphine), NH3 (Ammonia),, and H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide), it has very unpleasant smell. Industrial grade calcium carbide also contains trace amounts of more toxic arsenic and phosphorous that converts the healthy fruits poisonous. In the ripening of fruit, calcium carbide is sometimes used as source of acetylene gas, which is a ripening agent (similar to ethylene which has the IUPAC name of ethene and the chemical formula of C2H4 )
CaC2 is used to speed up the ripening of fruit in same way ethylene used. When calcium carbide is hydrolyzed in water it produce Acetylene which is a very useful flamable gas and this is the basic principle for using calcium carbide.
Use: Most commonly used chemical to ripe fruits is calcium carbide Calcium carbide is being used in most of the climacteric fruit fruits like mangoes, jackfruits, litchis, bananas etc. Traders pick green fruits before maturation; ripen artificially to serve in the market earlier than the season for higher profit. Moreover green fruits are transported easily with minimum damage and ripened at the place of retail sell.
Why is calcium carbide dangerous?
Large doses of calcium carbide can cause headache, dizziness and even cerebral edema in the long-run.
How to detect this?
� If the fruit is uniformly well colored
� If black blotches appear on the skin in two or three days
Harmful Affects:
� The use of calcium carbide is not only toxic to consumers; it may also be harmful to those who handle it.
� Acetylene, generated from carbide reduces oxygen supply to the brain. In acute stage, it causes headache, vertigo, dizziness, delirium, seizure and even coma.
� In the long term, it may produce mood disturbance and and loss of memory.
� Calcium carbide has cancer causing properties and capable to causing neurological disorder
� It can result in tingling sensation, numbness peripheral neuropathy
� Besides it causes heart disease, stroke, arthritis and allergies
� If pregnant woman consume fruit ripened with carbide, the children born could develop abnormalities
� Free radical from carbide play a major role in the ageing process as well as in the onset of cancer in kidney, liver, skin, prostate, and lungs
Advice to the Consumers/Precautionary Measures:
� Don�t buy fruits sold during their off season, as they are more likely to be artificially ripened.
� Don�t choose fruits that are attractive on the outside as they may not be good for health. Fruits that have a uniform color for example, a bunch of bananas having uniform color, are more likely to be artificially ripened.
� To avoid toxic effects to some extent are through washing of fruits before eating and not to eat skin of fruits.
� Even better option is to buy mature fruits directly from growers and to ripen it at home in warm temperature in contact with one ripe fruit.
Ethephon
Ethephon also called Ethel, Ethofon, Ethepon, and Ethrel. Ethephon (Chemical Name: 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) is a kind of botanic growth adjustment agent which can speed up the maturity of plants. Ethephon is a plant growth regulator. The product is widely applied to the plants such as banana, tomato, tobacco, cotton, rubber, and rice, etc. It promotes pre-harvest ripening in apples, currants, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, morello cherries, citrus fruit, figs, tomatoes, sugar beet and fodder beet seed crops, coffee, and capsicum.
Fruits and vegetables treated with ethephone or other ripening agents ripen faster with attractive color and flavor but the shelf life and nutrient values decrease. When fruits were dipped in ethephone (2-chloro ethyl phosphoric acid) it produced ethylene by the hydrolysis with water:
Excess ethrel are used to artificially ripen fruits as per Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) up to 100ppm ethephone is permissible. But condition is must be in physiologically mature fruits. The other popular method is to ripen fruits especially bananas through heating in a closed environment lead to poor quality.
Activities
Ethephon enters the bodies of plants through the leaves, barks, fruits or seeds and then is introduced to the parts where it functions and emits the ethane, which can perform the physiological function of endogenous hormone, for instance, speeding up the maturity of fruits and the falloff of leaves and fruits, shortening the plant, changing the ratio of male flower to pistil as well as inducing the sterility of the male flowers of some plants.
Ethephon is a plant growth regulator. Ethephon's mode of action acts via liberation of ethylene, which is absorbed by the plant and interferes in the growth process. It is also used in the acceleration of ripening of fruits and vegetables. The active ingredient ethephon is found in a variety of commercial herbicides.
Key Benefits
� Promotes early ripening and maturation in fruit, nuts, berries and other crops
� Accelerates ripening and drop of fruit
� Reduces lodging in wheat and barley
� Accelerates ripening and drop of fruit
� Reduces lodging in wheat and barley
Uses
v To accelerate ripening of fruit, tomatoes, sugar beet, coffee, etc.
v To increase the tillering of wheat and rice.
v To prevent lodging in rice, maize and flax.
v To accelerate boll opening and defoliation in cotton.
v To hasten the yellowing of mature tobacco leaves.
v To stimulate latex flow in rubber trees and resin flow in pine trees.
v To stimulate early uniform hull split in walnuts, etc.
v To promote pre-harvest ripening in apples, currants, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, morello cherries, citrus fruit, figs, tomatoes, sugar beet and fodder beet seed crops, coffee, capsicums, etc.;
v To accelerate post-harvest ripening in bananas, mangoes, and citrus fruit.
v To facilitate harvesting by loosening of the fruit in currants, gooseberries, cherries, and apples; to increase flower bud development in young apple trees.
v To induce flowering of Bromeliads.
v To shorten the stem length in forced daffodils.
Potential Health Hazards
v Acutely toxic by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes, and does not cause skin sensitization.
v Highest dose levels, ethephone caused body weight decrease and kidney effects
v Ethephon (an organophosphonate) produces organophosphate-like signs of toxicity including salivation, lacrimation, urination and defecation at high dose.
v Inhibition of red blood cell and plasma cholinesterase which occurs at low levels of exposure
v It damages human stomach and can make the liver ineffective; he said adding that the use of chemical in mango must be stopped immediately.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is a hormone secreted and stored by the posterior pituitary gland. It has uterine contracting and milk-ejecting actions. Natural oxytocin causes milk to be ejected from the breasts during lactation.
Oxytocin - A hormone that plays an important role in female reproduction- is frequently injected in vegetable.
Milkmen also use these injections to increase milk production.
Potential Adverse Reactions When Using Oxytocin
� Nausea
� Vomiting
� More intense
� Abrupt contractions of the uterus
� Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue)
� Afibrino genonemia, which can lead to hemorrhage and death
� Pelvic hematoma
� Cardiac arrhythmia and premature ventricular contraction
� Heavy or continued bleeding after childbirth
� Irregular heartbeat
� Pooling of blood in the pelvis
� Ruptured uterus
� Fetus: Bleeding in the eye
� Slow heartbeat
� Blood clotting problems
� Changes in heart rate
� Seizures
� Decreased blood pressure
Is there an alternative?
Fruits such as guavas, lemons, carambola, jujubee, and hog-plums (amra) are still free from adulterants.
Formalin
Formalin is a solution of about 37% formaldehyde (H2C=O), serves as disinfectant and preservative
� It is the simplest Aldehyde, hence its IUPAC name methanol.
� Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor.
� It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers.
� A typical commercial grade of formalin may contain 10-12 per cent methanol, in addition to aluminum (3 ppm), iron (1 ppm), and copper (1 ppm).
Health Risk Evaluation
Predominant symptoms of formaldehyde exposure in humans are irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, together with concentration-dependent discomfort, lachrymation, sneezing, coughing, nausea, dyspnoea and death.
Formaldehyde also occurs naturally in the environment. As a metabolic intermediate, formaldehyde is present at low levels in most living organisms. Formaldehyde can be found naturally in food up to the levels of 300 to 400 mg/kg, including fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, crustacean and dried mushroom, etc.
Table 1: Formalin exposure routes and possible effects on humans
Exposure routes | Effects on humans |
Ingestion (swallowing) | Ingestion of pure formalin (10-40% formalin) could cause severe irritation and inflammation of the mouth , throat, and stomach , severe stomach pain will follow and possible loss of consciousness and death; Ingestion of dilute formalin will cause discomfort in the stomach and mouth |
Inhalation (breathing) | Concentration of 0.5-2.0 mg/L may irritate the eyes, nose and throat. Concentrations of 3-5 mg/L may cause tearing of the eyes. Concentrations of 10-20 mg/L could cause difficulty in breathing, burning of the nose and throat, cough. Concentrations of 25-30 mg/L may cause severe respiratory tract injury. Concentrations of 100 mg/L is dangerous to life and health |
Skin (dermal) | Prolonged and repeated contact with formalin could cause numbness (lack of feeling) and a hardening or tanning of the skin |
Eye contact | Formalin solution splashed in the eye can cause injuries from transient discomfort to severe such as loss of vision |
Carcinogenicity | Formalin has the potential to cause cancer, repeated and prolonged exposure increases the risk of cancers of the lung, nasopharynx, oropharynx and nasal passage |
Formalin and Fish Trade in Bangladesh
About 80,000 kg of fish products enter Bangladeshi markets everyday through the Teknaf border from Burma. Recently, several media reports indicated that fish imported from neighboring countries are contaminated with formalin. It is suspected that these fish may be sprayed with formalin to extend its shelf life, to make them stiff and appear fresher for longer periods of time and to prevent decomposition. Formalin is also used in imported fish because of the amount of time needed to transport the fish to various domestic markets in Bangladesh. The traders may dip the whole fish or inject formalin in the fish body cavity or spread formalin mixed water on the fish surface while the fish are displayed for purchase.
Formalin on fish in Bangladesh
4.70 ppm formalin has been found on fish sold in the country market(Dept. of Fisheries, Bangladesh). Tendency of using formalin is more on the city than the village. More formalin is found on the large fish as compared to small fish. If the demand of fish is more � the tendency of using formalin in fish is more. Mainly formalin is used to preserve fish for a long time as an alteration of ice. International Association of Research for Cancer (IARC) has kept formalin in number one for cancer. If 0.5 ppm formalin is taken by any human body with respiration then it causes allergy, asthma, nose & eye irritation and nerval problem. Researcher says that the persons who spray formalin and sell formalin added fish, formalin entries into their body directly through respiration. 3 to 4 ppm formalin on the fish is very anxious for human health. Formalin consumption at this concentration doesn�t affect just after consumption but after a certain period it shows symptom of various disease including cancer which is similar to Arsenic.
Traditional Thinking: Formalin mixed fish and fruits if dipped in water, the amount of formalin present on them are reduced.
Solute | ppm | ppm after dipping in water |
Roui | 3.4 | 3.35 |
Katla | 2.73 | 2.71 |
Apple | 5.56 | 5.51 |
Way to Detect Formalin Contaminated and Formalin Free Fish
Formalin Contaminated Fish | Formalin Free Fish |
1. Eye whitish in color | 1. Eye normal & reddish color |
2. Don't have any Slime | 2. Have Slime |
3. Gill is blackish in color | 3. Gill is reddish in color |
4. Body is dry in nature | 4. Body is wet in nature |
5. Muscles and scales are hardy and rubber like | 5. Muscles and scales are soft |
6. Haven't the normal smell of fish | 6. Have the normal smell of fish |
7. No flies Buzzing over the fish | 7. Flies Buzzing over the fish |
8. Don't rot easily | 8. Rot very easily |
What step should be taken against the use of formalin?
� Creation of public awareness
� Publicity about the hazardous effect of formalin
� Rule for the buyer and seller to buy and sell the formalin
� Application of the rule
� Prepare sufficient ice factory and cold store for the preservation of fish and fruit
� Every person have a willing to stop the use of formalin
The Alternatives
Koi (Anabas testudineus), Magur (Clarias gariepinus), Shing (Amblyceps mangois), Pangas (Pangasius pangasius), Different Catfishes, etc.
Free from formalin till now
Additives
These are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.
- The best known additives are:
- Preservatives
- Flavors
- Colors
Coloring materials
Dyes: Eating foods containing industrials dyes and colors causes violent allergic reactions, respiratory problems, asthma, liver disorders and kidney dysfunction and bone marrow disorders. Coal tar dyes are being used in sweetmeats.
Asthma: caused by toxic dyes used in most of the fruits.
Color Additives
Color additives are used in foods for many reasons:
� To offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions.
� To correct natural variations in color.
� To enhance colors that occur naturally
� To provide color to colorless and "fun" foods.
� Artificial colours are made out of petro chemicals.
� Orange colour is generally used to give color to sweet recipes.
� Children who consume sweet, junk and fast food with artificial colours face behaviour problems and other problems of growth.
� There would be more ill effects in the long run and children lose concentration.
Precaution:
v Keep away from candies, and sweets.
v Red colour that is used in these causes some types of allergies and chronic diseases like thyroid.
v Usage of dark red colour caused deadly cancer and other genetic problems.
v Dangerous tumours are formed in brain due to blue1 and blue2 colours.
v Red rashes may appear on the skin. This colour may cause skin related and other chronic allergies.
v Green colour is used while cooking green peas, gel, kulfis, paneer recipes, cakes and jams. Excess use of this colour causes asthma and cancer.
Preservatives
� More long lasting food means more preservatives.
� All packaged foods are tinted with preservatives.
� Sodium benzoate and benzoic acid are food preservatives found in sauces, fruit juices, jams and pickled products can cause allergic reactions and other side effects.
Potassium bromate is used in breads and other bakery products to increase their volume. The residual amount of this oxidizing agent in bread is harmful if consumed. Sodium Nitrates and nitrites are chemical compounds commonly used in making cured meat products like bacon and hot dogs. Excessive consumption of sodium nitrate is known to worsen asthma and decrease lung function.
Flavor
Flavorings are chemical formulations that mimic the flavors and smells of foods. The chemical Octyl Acetate is the main component in orange flavor, while isoamyl acetate is the main component of banana flavor. Flavors cause less harm comparatively.
Pesticides
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. Five common types of deadly pesticides are the herbicides, fungicides, heavy metals, insecticides and DDT.
Effects of Pesticides on Human Health
Some of the effects of pesticide on humans are the damage to the reproductive system, nervous system, and other organs, behavioural and developmental abnormalities, interference of hormone function as well as affecting the immunity system. The pesticides gather in the fat deposits in the body where they stay and cause a lot of damage. Most of the infants and young children drinking breast milk ingest pesticides as women who eat fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides may pass the pesticides through their breast milk while pregnant women can pass the pesticides onto their fetus.
Food Coating
Coating in the food industry is the application of a layer of liquid and/or solids onto a product. Coatings of fruits are carried out by applying a thin layer of wax on the surface. The coating process can be carried by either dipping, brushing or spraying with wax.
This coating is normally referred to as edible coating. An edible coating is a thin layer that is applied on the surface of a fruit or vegetables which is consumed together with the fruit. Edible coatings are considered to be safe for human consumption. Therefore, these coatings are expected to be consumed together with the fruits.
Why Coat Food?
The main reasons are either for preservation, aesthetic (appearance) or the obvious one of replacing the natural wax. The fruits naturally have a natural wax coating on their surface. This natural wax coating helps to protect the fruit from shriveling and weight loss.
Coating materials
There is a provision for coating fries fruits with food additive viz. bee wax (white/yellow) carnauba wax or shellac wax as glazing agent in accordance with the good manufacturing practice for use of food additive under proper label declaration as defined in sub rule (zzz)(24) of Rule 42. Recently Chitosan and Aloe vera are used which are edible coating materials and safe from health hazards.
Disadvantages of waxing fruits
� Waxing fruits can have some negative effects on the fruit. One of the effects is anaerobic respiration that can occur in the fruits since the wax may act as oxygen barrier.
� The wax can be used to disguise the quality of fruit. Waxed fruit may look glossy, sleek, shiny, firm and appealing, but they could be soggy and lacking the desirable crispy texture.
Adulteration of different food items involves using
� Urea fertilizer and artificial color in rice;
� Formalin in fish;
� Pesticides, insecticides, and harmful dyes in vegetables;
� Artificial color in pulses;
� Brick dust in red chili powder;
� Toxic powder color in turmeric;
� White sand in salt;
� Colored sawdust in tea;
� Sub-standard chhana, saccharine, fatless milk with textile dye in sweetmeat;
� Low-quality flour with textile dye in biscuit and bread; and
� Textile dye and artificial sweetener in drinks.
Overview: Adulterated or Not | |
Fish | No flies Buzzing over the fish means it is contaminated with formalin |
Fruit | No insect and fruit flies buzzing around the fruit means it injected or sprayed with chemicals |
Vegetable chop and other fried item | Upon tearing open the fried outer layer, any visible color inside is an evidence of color and chemicals usage |
Jilapi | An unadulterated has light reddish color. Too light or too bright color means it has preservatives |
Muri (Puffed Rice) | White muri should be avoided. Muri of pale white color contain sodium hypochlorite, a bleaching agent. Unadulterated muri have reddish off white color. |
Sweetmeat | Pink textured insides of black sweet (Kalojam) means pigment used to color fabrics were used to add color to sweetmeat. Unadulterated sweet would be off white or reddish color. Too pale of a white color means adulteration. All colorful sweet have color and preservatives. |
Laccha Semai | Good and unadulterated shemai sticks have an off white and creamy color. Colorful sticks means it was adulterated. |
Instant Soft Drinks and Juice Powder | All of them contain color and preservatives. |
Egg | If a reddish color egg is drunk on highly boiled water and it loses its color this means it has Potassium Permanganate a strong oxidation agent. |
Conclusion
Chemicals used in food indiscriminately. These added chemicals are controversial and have a detrimental effect on human health. Eating fresher, whole foods may be a safe alternative to avoiding these chemical additives.
Recommendation
q Creation of public awareness and publicity about the hazardous effect of chemicals
q Govt. should take steps against food adulteration
q Every person have a willing to stop the use of chemicals in food
q Eat local products and take from known grower
References:
Formaldehyde. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1989 (Environmental Health Criteria, No. 89).
Jung et al.(2004). Formaldehyde residues in formalin treated olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) and seawater aquaculture Journal source Aquaculture 194: 251-262.
M. A. Hakim, A. K. Obidul Huq, M. A. Alam, Alfi Khatib, B. K. Saha, K. M. Formuzul Haque and I. S. M. Zaidul (2012)Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment Vol.10 (2): 247-251.
MSDS Kenso Agcare Ethephon 720 Growth Regulator. 25 July 2012.
SA Fattah, MY Ali, Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2010; 5(2):37
Uddin et al.(2011).Detection of Formalin in Fish Samples Collected from Dhaka City, Bangladesh. S. J. Pharm. Sci. 4(1): 49-52
Wooster et al. (2005) Human health risks associated with formaldehyde treatments used in aquaculture: Initial study. North American Journal of Aquaculture. 67: 111-113.
Newspaper & Magazine Sources:
Dainik Prothom Alo, 20 September, 2012
Dainik Prothom Alo, 6 September, 2012
Masik Krishibarta, August,2012
Internet Sources
http://chestofbooks.com/health/anatomy/Human-Body-Construction/Outline-Of-The-Lungs.html
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100408053909AAVI4Wi
http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/aeru/footprint/en/Reports/274.htm
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/1076488/1/.html
http://www.inchem.org/documents/cicads/cicads/cicad40.htm
http://www.primaryinfo.org/1-projects/ethephon.htm
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