Danger lurks in desi drinks, juices

Vijayawada: Danger lurks in locally-made drinks and juices which are being consumed by people to beat the heat. The authority to check polluted drinks appears sick as these juice and drink selling kiosks mushrooming like anything.As the temperature soars to new heights, in order to cope with water loss and heat wave, denizens have been making a halt at nearby vendor of cold drinks or juice.

Highlights:

• Makers of juices are liberally using ice made of polluted water
• Vendors never care for the quality of fruit and supply juices by mixing fragrant spices and sugar with excessive mix of crushed ice
• To make the drink appear attractive, the makers liberally use colours and flavour elements which are harmful to health, says Janu, a chemistry lecturer
• People leaving home afternoons should take a bottle of drinking water to avoid drinks and juices, advises M Venkateswara Rao, a doctor

The makers of juices such as sugandi soda, sugandi katora, sugarcane, grapes, sapota, pomegranate, banana, sweet orange, lemon soda and others have been liberally using ice made of polluted water. Instead of refrigerating the raw fruits, the sellers have been filling glasses with ice cubes crushed in rubber bags, waste truck tyre tubes to satisfy the urge of consumer to gulp cold drink in the hot sun.

“Exposed to sun, the consumers hardly notice the ingredients mixed in the drinks. The water and milk used to make drinks are not fresh. Non-availability of fresh water for the investment they made, many vendors use raw water fetched from different unauthorised suppliers. Juices of mango carry decayed portions of the fruit. The fruits are already ripened by artificial means and have decayed portions.

The vendors never care for the quality of fruit and supply juices by mixing fragrant spices and sugar with excessive mix of crushed ice. To make the drink appear attractive, the makers liberally use colours and flavour elements which are harmful to health,” said Janu, a chemistry lecturer.

“As far as cleanliness of the stalls is concerned no kiosk or push cart is free from flies which are carriers of diseases, including cholera. At sugarcane juice shops, even the flies are crushed, along with ginger and lemon,” says K Nagaraju, an engineer.
“People leaving home afternoon should take a bottle of cold drinking water to avoid juices that are not certified as clean.

If they cannot take water bottle from home for any reason, better they buy a bottle of branded water, soft drink, branded milk, buttermilk, lassi or tender coconut,” advises M Venkateswara Rao, a doctor. “Everybody involved in sale of juices is trying to make a fast buck. They give least priority to hygiene. As people throng these desi drink shops, the only aim of the vendors is to make a roaring business at the cost of customers’ health,” reveals Taj, a fruit vendor.