Berhampur: Silk City Berhampur is known as the food capital of Odisha owing to the many varieties of delicacies the city offers to food lovers.
However, restaurateurs, eateries, hotels and fast food counters continue to add MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), commonly known as Chinese salt or ajinomoto, to food items during preparation as a taste enhancer notwithstanding the serious risks the salt poses to the health of the food lovers.
Reports said that rampant sale of MSG continues in the Silk City as around 15 tonne China salt is sold every month notwithstanding its adverse health effects.
Chinese salt is sold at Rs 120 per kilo in the wholesale market and Rs 140 in the retail counters. The salt can be found easily in almost all grocery stores and its demand increases manifold during marriage and festive seasons.
Hotels, restaurants and various eateries in the city are thronged by people starting from daybreak till late night to satiate their hunger. With an aim to increase the footfall, these hotels, restaurants and eateries prepare the food early and try to enhance the taste by adding various chemicals, sauces, food colours, vinegar and especially China salt. According to many physicians, Chinese salt is actually harmful for human health.
Medicine specialist Dr Suchitra Haldar said the chemicals present in Chinese salt triggers many health complications. Regular consumption of Chinese salt laced food heightens the possibility of liver cancer. She said people should observe utmost precaution and stay away from consuming such food items.
Pratap Chandra Sahu, a retail trader at Bada Bazaar, said he sells 25 kg or one sack of Chinese salt daily and the sale gets doubled in marriage and festive seasons.
The salt is sold in over 20 spices godowns in the city. A godown trader sells around 80 sacks of Chinese salt on an ordinary day while during marriage season over 200 sacks are sold.
A godown owner said that around two truckloads of Chinese salt are bought to the city per month. As a result, around 15 tonne of China salt is sold in the Berhampur market which after being added to food items is consumed by people.
A hotel owner Jagannath Panigrahi said Chinese salt is added to the food, especially non-vegetarian items, to enhance its taste and cook it early. “We are forced to add this salt due to heavy competition among eateries to draw more customers,” he said.
PNN