Madras High Court has directed Food Safety and Standard Authority to look into the alleged mixing of a harmful chemical in refined flour and take action if the charge was found to be true.
The directive was given by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh while disposing of a PIL which alleged the chemical alloxan was mixed in 'maida' and intake of food made of it killed beta cells of pancreas resulting in diabetics.
The court ordered the FSSA to complete the probe within three months.
Petitioner K Rajendran sought a direction to the authorities to ban use of alloxan in white flour.
He also contended that bleaching of the flour destroys its nutrient values.
Noting that apparently the petitioner had no expertise in the field to canvass for ban on the chemical, the bench, however, said the matter was important.
"...Our concern is that the cause does not get damaged because of the petitioner has no expertise in the field," the bench said directing the FSSA to look into it.
