Sweet supari

[Nauman Faridi]

Source : Dawn (Sept 22, 1998, Letters)

Sweet supari

REFERENCE to the news item (Dawn Sept 16) that saccharine is used as an
artificial sweetener in sweet supari and pan masala, mostly manufactured as
a cottage industry.

It is interesting to note that my colleagues working in the Department of
Botany, University of Karachi, in a random sampling have found that sweet
supari and pan masala were contaminated with at least 23 different species
of mould fungi.

Whereas carcinogenic effect of saccharine is still inconclusive, the
carcinogenic effects of mould fungi are well documented eg., Aspergillus
flavus is known to produce aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 involved in the
production of liver cancer and degeneration of kidney.

There is need to create an awareness both amongst the manufacturers and the
users of sweet supari and pan masala. Presence of mycotoxins in the food
stuff also needs evaluation.

DR ABDUL GHAFFAR

Karachi

[Asim Hayat]

Thanx for a good informative posting-... Pity it could niot be aired to tyhe
masses of gulible people, and children, whom one sees chewing this awful
concoction, in PTV advertisemnets galore as if it was the national food of
Pakistan....

Regards

Asim
Nauman Faridi wrote in message <6u8b6b$h66$1...@newsserver.qms.com>...
:Source : Dawn (Sept 22, 1998, Letters)

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