Meghalaya govt sends samples of bread for tests

Following the Centre's ban on use of potassium bromate as a food additive following a CSE study found its presence in bread as causing cancer, Meghalaya government today said it has sent samples for test to verify if the chemical are being used in bread production.
The state government has also warned that if those samples are found to contain harmful additives, necessary action will be taken as per National Food Safety Act.
"If additives which are hazardous to human health and banned are found in the bread samples, action will be taken as per law (National Food Safety Act)," Health Minister A L Hek told PTI.

He said 44 random bread formal and informal samples collected have been sent to the Assam-based Public Health Laboratory last week and the report is expected to come within 14 days.
Samples from at least one district (West Jaintia Hills) will be sent as and when they are available, Hek said.
Acting on a report that certain additives in bread are hazardous to human health on its consumption, the food safety officers in the state have been asked to draw random samples, he said.
The Centre had banned the use of potassium bromate as a food additive following a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study that found its presence in bread as causing cancer.

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), however, has referred potassium iodate -- also claimed to be carcinogenic and used as a food additive -- to a scientific panel.