Raghav Chadha Raises Issue of Food Adulteration in Rajya Sabha, Warns of Serious Threat to Public Health
New Delhi:
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday raised the serious issue of food adulteration in the Upper House of Parliament, calling it a major public health crisis that poses grave risks, especially to children, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha accused companies of selling harmful products by making false claims of being “healthy” and “energy-boosting.” He elaborated on how dangerous substances are being mixed into everyday essential food items. He said milk is adulterated with urea, vegetables are injected with oxytocin, paneer contains starch and caustic soda, ice cream is mixed with detergent powder, fruit juices contain synthetic flavours and artificial colours, edible oils are adulterated with machine oil, spices have brick powder and sawdust, tea is coloured with synthetic dyes, and poultry products are laced with anabolic steroids. Even sweets that are supposed to be made with desi ghee are instead prepared using vanaspati oil and dalda, he added.
The AAP MP further explained that a mother gives a glass of milk to her child believing it will provide calcium and protein and help the child grow healthy. However, she has no idea that she may actually be feeding her child milk mixed with urea and detergent. Citing a research study, Chadha said that 71 percent of milk samples were found to contain urea, while 64 percent had neutralisers such as sodium bicarbonate.
He pointed out that the amount of milk being sold in the country exceeds actual production. Vegetables, which people consider a treasure of good health, are artificially made to look fresh by injecting oxytocin. Oxytocin, he warned, is a dangerous chemical that can cause dizziness, headaches, heart failure, infertility, and even cancer. Chadha stated that between 2014–15 and 2025–26, tests conducted on food samples revealed adulteration in 25 percent of them, meaning one out of every four samples was adulterated.
Raghav Chadha also highlighted that certain products manufactured in India, but banned internationally, are still being sold openly within the country. He mentioned that products of two major Indian spice companies were banned in the UK and across Europe due to the presence of cancer-causing pesticides, yet the same products continue to be available in Indian markets.
Expressing concern, he said that items considered unfit even for pets abroad are being consumed without hesitation in India. He proposed strengthening the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) with adequate staff and laboratory infrastructure, increasing financial penalties for violators, introducing a public recall system to name and shame adulterators, and banning misleading health claims in advertisements.
