Lok Sabha Question No. 1843 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Harmful Effects of Chemicals in Food
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK   SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1843 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH JULY, 2021

## HARMFUL EFFECTS OF CHEMICALS IN FOOD

## 1843. S HRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WE LFARE be pleased to state:

- ( a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  warning  given  by  the  American  Academy  of Pediatrics vide its policy statement entitled 'Food Additives and Child Health' about the harmful effects o f chemicals added to foods and other products especially for children;
- ( b) if so, the details thereof;
- ( c) whether  the  Government  has  commissioned  any study  on  the  adverse  effects  of  food adulteration on children; and
- ( d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( DR. BHARATI PRAVIN P AWAR )

(a)  to  (d ):Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR)  has  informed  that  the  American Academy of Pediatrics vide its policy statement titled 'Food Additives  and Child Health' highlights emerging child health concerns related to:

- The use of colorings, flavorings, and chemicals deliberately  added to food du processing  (direct  food  additives)  as  well  as  substances  in  food  contact  mate including adhesives, d yes, coatings, paper, paperboard, plastic, and other polymers which  may  contaminate  food  as  part  of  packaging  or  manufacturing  equipment (indirect food additives);
- R easonable  recommendations  that  the  pediatrician  might  be  able  to  adopt  into guidanceprovided during pediatric visits; and to propose urgently needed reforms the current regulatory process at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fo food additives.

The policy statement states that data about health effects of food additives on inf ants and children are limited or missing, however, in general, infants and children are more vulnerable to  chemical  exposures.  Children  may  be  particularly  susceptible  to  the  effects  of compounds, given that :

- they have higher relative exposures compa red with adults (because of greater dietary intake per pound),
- their metabolic (ie detoxification) systems are still developing, and
- key  organ  systems  are  undergoing  substantial  changes  and  maturation  that  a vulnerable to disruptions.

(Source: Trasande  L,  Shaffer RM, Sathyanarayana S; AAP Council on Environmental Health. Food Additives and Child Health. Pediatrics. 2018;142(2):e20181408)

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has  notified  the Food  Safety  and Standards (Safe food and balanced diets for children in school) Regulations, 2020 on 4.9.2020 to facilitate the promotion of Eat Right habits in schools. This will ensure and promote safe  and  healthy  food  in  and  around  school  premises,  regulating  food marketing  and advertisement  to  school  children,  monitoring  and  surveillance  and overall guidance for providing safe and wholesome food to children.