Not many people might have noticed the news that the food safety department had seized the 12750 litres of milk brought from Tamil Nadu to Kerala in a tanker lorry. Upon testing, it was found that urea was mixed in the milk. The culprits adulterated milk knowing that there will be a huge demand for milk in Kerala during the Onam season. Not only milk, many other products, including vegetables, fruits and coconut oil, are flowing into the state both officially and illegally these days. People are buying and using these adulterated products that are entering the state through secret routes and by bribing the officials at the check posts. The Food Safety Department seized the adulterated milk at the Meenakshipuram check post on the Palakkad-Coimbatore border as it had a good understanding of the fraud in connection with the onam trade. Now is the time for food safety officials to be more vigilant at all check posts. So many fake products reach the state during Onam.

Even though the agriculture department claims that Kerala has achieved self-sufficiency in milk production, the situation is such that there will be a shortage of milk here if the neighbouring states do not provide milk during the festival season. The Agriculture Department is taking many steps to increase milk production. However, the reality is that the demands are not being fully met. Adequate incentives are needed for dairy farmers. More assistance and protection should be given to dairy farmers if cattle rearing is to develop as a profitable occupation. Dependency on other states can be avoided only if the authorities take measures to attract more people to this field. Milk production will definitely increase if the incentives given to start-ups in the industrial sector are made available in the dairy sector too.

Extensive checks are essential to prevent the entry of fake products into the Kerala market during Onam. This is also the time when consumers are most likely to be cheated. Imported vegetables and fruits require rigorous testing to ensure they are free of deadly pesticides. Although there were mechanisms for this at check posts at one point, no such mechanisms are in place nowadays. This does not mean that the use of pesticides on vegetables has decreased. Another highly adulterated food product is coconut oil. Fake coconut oil is widely sold even under the name of reputable companies. Food items like curries, condiments etc. are not free from adulteration. Meanwhile, the Food Safety Department does not have enough officers to carry out inspections across the state and to catch the culprits and file cases.

The 'urea milk' caught at the Meenakshipuram check post is just a small indication of the danger facing the state. Sociopaths like this should be seen as an attack on the human right to eat unadulterated food. No mercy should be shown to those who indulge in food adulteration. They deserve the maximum punishment prescribed in the law. The government should be more cautious to ensure that people are not feeding on poisonous food during Onam.