A few days ago, the Food Safety Department team had raided a boundary wall in Ajmer, Rajasthan. There was a factory for making adulterated jaggery. The team seized 9000 kg of jaggery and 30 bags of 1 kg of saffolite mixed in jaggery from the spot. Apart from this, barrels filled with rotten jaggery were also found, which were giving off foul smell.
The demand for jaggery is highest during the winter season. In such a situation, adulterators want to earn more by selling adulterated jaggery. Adulterated jaggery can be harmful to health. Therefore, before buying jaggery, it is very important to identify real and fake jaggery.
so today work in news We will learn how to identify real and fake bottle gourd. You may also know this-
- What kind of adulteration can be there in fake jaggery?
- Can eating fake jaggery cause health problems?
Expert: Chaturbhuj Meena, State Food Analyst, Jharkhand
Dr. Amrita Mishra, Nutritionist and Dietitian (New Delhi)
Question- What kind of adulteration do adulterators do in jaggery to earn profit?
Answer : Generally, adulterators add things like calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in fake jaggery. Calcium carbonate increases the weight of jaggery, while adding sodium bicarbonate improves the color of the jaggery. Apart from this, sugar and a chemical called sepholite is added to jaggery. Safelite increases the shelf life of jaggery and can keep it fresh for a long time. Eating jaggery made from such chemicals can cause many health problems.
Question- How harmful is adulterated jaggery for our body? Answer- Apart from being tasty, jaggery is also very beneficial for the body. It is a good source of Vitamin C, iron, potassium and magnesium. It increases the immunity of the body. The body remains protected from cough, flu and other diseases. However, all these benefits are available only when the jaggery is completely pure. No kind of chemical should be mixed in it. Instead of providing benefits, adulterated jaggery can cause serious diseases in the body.
Question- What is the complete process of making real jaggery?
Answer- Jaggery is made from sugarcane. Let us know the entire process from harvesting sugarcane to making jaggery with the help of these points.
- First of all the sugarcane is cut and washed properly.
- After this, sugarcane juice is extracted by putting it in the crusher installed in the jaggery factory.
- This juice is cleaned and filtered. The waste material is thrown away.
- In the next process, sugarcane juice is heated in a big vessel. Low flame is kept to boil the juice.
- After heating the juice, it is kept in an earthen vessel to increase its density. Due to this the color of jaggery changes.
- After this the jaggery is kept in a big vessel to cool.
- Jaggery becomes thick when it cools. Then it is molded into different molds and sold in the market.
Question- How to identify real and fake jaggery? Answer- Jaggery is a superfood which is rich in many nutrients.
But the jaggery sold in the market can also be adulterated, which can spoil your health. Therefore, it is important to identify it before counting it.
Question- What are the benefits of eating jaggery in winter? Answer- Eating jaggery is very beneficial in winter season. You can include this in your diet every day. Jaggery is commonly known as a natural sweetener. It is prepared with much less processing than sugar, due to which its natural nutrients remain intact.
Its regular consumption during winter season does not cause health problems like cough, cold, indigestion. Apart from this, there are many other benefits of eating jaggery. Understand this from the following graphic.
Question- How much jaggery should an adult eat during the winter season? Answer- Nutritionist and dietitian Dr. Amrita Mishra says that a healthy adult should eat about 10 to 15 grams of jaggery every day in winter. Consuming jaggery in more quantity than this can cause harm. This can also have negative effects on the body.
Question- Is eating jaggery beneficial for everyone? Answer- Dr. Amrita Mishra says that it is true that eating jaggery gives strength to the body, but in some health related conditions eating jaggery should be avoided. Such as-
diabetes: Jaggery has high sugar content. Therefore, people who have diabetes should avoid eating jaggery. It can increase the blood sugar level.
People suffering from obesity: People suffering from obesity should also not eat jaggery. Actually, jaggery is high in calories, which can lead to weight gain.
People with allergies: Jaggery contains fructose. Fructose is a type of sugar that can increase allergies.
People with digestive problems: Jaggery is high in fiber, which can be harmful for people with digestive problems.
Pregnant women: Pregnant women should not consume jaggery without doctor’s advice.
Heart and kidney patients: Jaggery is high in sugar and calories, which can be harmful for heart and kidney patients.