Question

Read the extract and answer the following question:

Food adulteration is a complex issue that requires a multi-pronged approach involving government intervention, industry cooperation, and consumer awareness. In Country X, addressing food adulteration is an ongoing challenge, but with a concerted effort from all stakeholders, there is hope far creating a safer and more trustworthy food supply chain in the future.

1. In order to secure consumer rights what duties should the consumers fulfil?
2. Mention any two harmful effects of food adulteration.

Answer 1

1. The duties of consumers are as follows:
   1. Making informed choices: Customers shouldn't take the seller's words at face value. Before selecting or making a purchase of any commodity, he must insist on receiving full disclosure regarding the nature, value, amount, cost, etc. of the goods or services.
   2. Consumers must be aware of their rights: The Consumer Protection Act grants consumers a number of rights, including the right to safety, the right to choose, the right to be heard, etc., but the consumer must utilize these rights in order for them to be effective. The customer has to know his or her rights and use them when necessary.
   3. Consumer must be Quality Conscious: They must take action to stop the supply of inferior, tainted, or duplicate goods and put an end to sacrificing product quality when making purchases of goods or services. Customers need to search for quality certification markings like ISO, Agrnark, and ISI.
2. The harmful effects of adulteration are stated below:
   1. Leads to chronic health problems: There are many mineral oils which, when added to food items, can result in paralysis, cancer, etc. If pregnant women eat such food items, it might lead to abortion or even damage the brain of the baby. Sometimes zinc substances result in vomiting or in severe cases it can result in diarrhea. Food colors that are added to the items can be the reason of liver damage, allergies and lots more. Thus, you can say that adulteration can bring down your health and affect your quality of life.
   2. Increases the impurity in the food: Adulteration alerts the composition of the food item, increasing the impurities, thus making them imperfect for consumption. When we consume such impure food, we are bound to have side effects, which can either be short-term or long-term.