Kendrapara: The gupchup business is flourishing in both urban and rural areas. Gupchup kiosks and push carts can be found everywhere, starting from school areas to lanes and bylanes. This is a favourite of not just children but also the elders swarming these kiosks.
Does this mouth-watering item have any harmful effect on us?
Apart from other ingredients, the sour-taste and flavoured water makes the stuff more tastier but harmful as well. Dr Mirza Babar Beig of district notes that citric acid is added to the water to give it a special taste.
He says citric acid is poisonous and its consumption in the form of gupchup water gives rise to various health problems, including stomach disorders.
Ramesh, a gupchup vendor who hails from Darbhanga in Bihar and living here since the last 22 years, denies any mixing of the chemical in the sour water. Instead, he prepares it by mixing tamarind pulp, mint leaves, coriander leaves, jal jeera powder and black salt.
Rajesh Behera, a resident of Manakarpur, alleges that there are many vendors who use citric acid. He had alerted the health department. Confirming this, district food inspector Samitita Das said the water had been collected twice and the tests revealed the presence of citric acid in the water.
Social activist Radhakant Mohanty alleges that the raid offer is nothing but an eyewash. He claims citric acid is available in market at a rate cheaper than tamarind. So, most vendors use citric acid instead of tamarind. And if a raid is carried out properly, many such vendors would find themselves behind the bars.
The administration is doing nothing to spread awareness among the people, basically among the children, he said and urged the district administration to take immediate preventive steps. When contacted, sub collector Sanjay Kumar Mishra said lack of proper inspection was due to staff shortage.
The government is preparing a programme to ensure proper checking of food items from the grassroots level. A regional testing laboratory will be established in the state, and a block food safety officer appointed in each block while a state-level specific official will be appointed to monitor all these things.
Last month, health minister Pratap Jena issued an advisory and sought permission from the health department to effectively take action against use of citric acid in this food item.
