With the price of Arhar rising beyond
reach of many consumers, local traders are mixing it with the cheap and
low-quality Khesari pulse that was banned by the government in 1961. A large
number of complaints of adulteration have been pouring in from various parts of
Gurgaon. Khesari was once used as cattle feed, but its side-effects were found
to be so dangerous that the practice was stopped.
Experts say Khesari dal contains
di-amino-pro-pionic acid which could lead to paralysis of the lower body. It
could even cause numbness in the limbs and spine. But traders in Gurgaon have
begun selling it to cash in on the Arhar crisis. A Mail Today investigation
revealed that rampant adulteration of dal is taking place.On Thursday, Mail
Today visited Khandsa Anaj Mandi, Dundahera, Mulahera, Surat Nagar, Begampur
Khatola, Naurangpur, and villages surrounding IMT Maneser and found adulterated
Arhar and Khesari Dal being openly sold.
Retail traders in Gurgaon said Khesari
dal, available at Rs 40- 50 a kg, is being mixed with Arhar dal and it is very
difficult to separate the two because of their striking similarity.Many migrant
labourers who consume it are not even aware of the harmful effects of Khesari
dal. The Khesari pulse was banned by the central government way back in 1961
due to its high degree of Beta-N-Oxalylaminoalanine, a neurotoxic amino-acid in
the legume, which results in Lathyrism.
Khesari pulse contains 41 per cent carbohydrate, 31 per cent protein, 17 per cent total dietary fibre, 2 per cent fat and 2 percent ash. It also contains diamino pro-pionic acid which is hazardous to health.
Khesari pulse contains 41 per cent carbohydrate, 31 per cent protein, 17 per cent total dietary fibre, 2 per cent fat and 2 percent ash. It also contains diamino pro-pionic acid which is hazardous to health.
Lathyrism or neurolathyrism is a neurological disease of humans and domestic animals, caused by eating certainlegumes of the genus Lathyrus. This problem is mainly associated with Lathyrus sativus (also known as Grass pea,Kesari Dal, Khesari Dal or Almorta) and to a lesser degree with Lathyrus cicera, Lathyrus ochrus and Lathyrus clymenum containing the toxin ODAP.
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