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Food And Toxins

Lead in paints

Modern houses are full of harmful chemicals. One of them is lead, present in paints. Though several countries have banned the use of this substance India

Bt Brinjal: why we should not make a mash of it

The minister for environment and forests has announced his decision on Bt-brinjal – whether the world’s first genetically modified vegetable should be given permission to be grown and eaten in the country. And before I discuss the issues further, let me also make my own bias clear. I am not an anti-GM-person. In other words, I have no ideological problems with the use of genetically modified technology to improve crop yields. But I am anti-Bt-brinjal and believe the minister is right in not  giving clearance.

The Satyam in our oil

Which cooking oil is best for us? Why do I ask? Are we not bombarded with advertising messages telling us there is a healthy oil that is good for the heart? They talk of monounsaturated fatty acids (mufa), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (pufa) and of course, catch-us-words like omega properties. I am sure you, like me, try to understand this scientific jargon and conclude that any oil that has all these elements, must be good. Then we presume if we are being told the product is healthy, somebody must have verified the claim.

Toys

Press Release January 15, 2010 The trouble with toys… Latest CSE study finds high levels of toxic phthalates in children’s toys in India Read more... Lab Report :: Phthalates in Toys :: Details of the samples of toys tested    by CSE Fact Sheet :: Regulations :: Health Implications Presantation :: Toxic Toys DTE Cover story Hand to mouth Read more...

Bt brinjal: a CSE update

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has come out in support of the verdict on Bt-brinjal given here today by Jairam Ramesh, minister of state (independent charge) for environment and forests.

2010: choose your future today

A new decade. For me, three decades of work in environment. I wonder: have matters improved since the early 1980s, when I began? Or, are things worse off? Where do we go from here?

About Food Safety & Toxins

The programme relies on a two pronged strategy of doing laboratory research to generate empirical data on issues of toxins and food safety and secondly, doing policy research and advocacy to bring about changes in the regulatory and enforcement framework.

Homicide by Pesticides

A collection of articles on the threat posed to public health by pesticide residues and industrial toxins. From the economic costs of pollution to the health threats posed by the growing contamination of soil, air groundwater and river systems in India.

The new lords of misrule

Last fortnight, we began discussing ‘authorities’, and asked: Is this variant of governance reform working? This time, let’s consider the Food Safety and Standards Authority (fssa). It was created because of a recommendation of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which investigated our report on pesticide content in soft drinks and the lack of standards to regulate contamination in food.