Threat of Adulterated Food; 1 in 3 Panjabi Teen Obese

In a compliance report filed at the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 4 Aug, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) department disclosed that 1,420 food samples out of 11,657 tested in Panjab in 2024-25 failed quality checks. Panjab FDA also outlined enforcement and awareness measures taken across the state, including a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children near schools. The action comes in response to a 4 Mar order passed in a Public Interest Litigation filed by Kanwar Pahul Singh, following the death of a young girl, Manvi (no second name), in Patiala in March 2024 after she consumed a birthday cake ordered online. On 6 Aug, the Panjab government launched a statewide drive against food adulteration and substandard consumables. Panjab's Family Welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh said out of 531 samples of paneer (cottage cheese), 196 samples were found sub-standard and 59 were unsafe for consumption. On desi ghee (clarified butter), out of 222 samples, 20 were of sub-standard quality and 28 were unsafe for consumption. Balbir said, 'There is maximum adulteration in paneer and desi ghee.' The minister informed that in the last five years, 145 people were convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He asked people to make use of the Food Safety on Wheels laboratory initiative—mobile vans equipped to test daily consumables—which has now been expanded to all districts. Meanwhile, a Guru Nanak Dev University study has found a worrying rise in childhood obesity (age 10-16 years). The study assessed lifestyle habits as possible risk drivers of overweight and obesity, such as dietary habits, physical activity, sleep time, and screen time. The study found 31% schoolchildren in the age group were battling excess weight, with boys and younger adolescents disproportionately affected. The study assessed 1,408 students from seven co-educational schools across urban and semi-urban areas in five cities of the state. It found that 18.6% children were overweight and 12.4% were obese based on Body Mass Index measurements. Boys consistently showed higher obesity rates than girls across all measures.