Afraid to eat outside. Unsure about what we cook at home. Are we eating food to stay healthy, or unknowingly putting our health at risk?
There was a time when our ancestors believed that “Food is Medicine.” Today, however, we seem to be moving towards a frightening reality where we may need medicine because of the food we eat.
In the past, many families grew vegetables in their backyards, cultivated crops using traditional methods, and prepared food with ingredients they knew and trusted.
But look at our lives today.
From vegetables to spices, milk to cooking oil, rice to packaged snacks, almost everything we consume comes from the market.
But do we really know what goes into the food we eat every single day?
Banned Yesterday, Back on the Shelves Today! What Changed?
A few years ago, the controversy surrounding Maggi noodles and its temporary ban created widespread concern across India.
Following legal proceedings, testing, and regulatory developments, the product eventually returned to the market.
But an ordinary consumer still has a simple question:
"Yesterday, we were told not to eat it. Today, we are told it is safe. What exactly changed in between?"
There may be scientific explanations, laboratory findings, and regulatory decisions behind such developments. But are these explanations communicated clearly enough for ordinary consumers to understand?
Even today, reports emerge about food products facing quality concerns, contamination allegations, recalls, or safety inspections.
When a problem is discovered, shouldn't consumers be clearly informed whether it affects a particular batch, a manufacturing process, or the product itself?
Don't people who have trusted and consumed a brand for years deserve complete transparency about its safety?
Are We Going to Restaurants to Enjoy Food or to Eat in Fear?
There was a time when going out for a family dinner was a celebration.
Today, every new report about unhygienic kitchens, spoiled meat, expired ingredients, or unsafe food handling makes people question what is being served on their plates.
One day, authorities seize spoiled meat. Another day, a restaurant kitchen fails a hygiene inspection. The next day, expired food products are discovered.
Even some luxury hotels and premium restaurants have faced food-safety violations.
A hotel may have five stars for luxury. But how many stars does its kitchen deserve for hygiene?
Beautiful interiors, expensive menus, and attractive presentation cannot guarantee food safety.
Customers are paying for food, not gambling with their health.
Spoiled Food Delivered Online… Is a Refund Really Enough?
Imagine ordering a meal online.
You open the package and discover that the food smells bad, is spoiled, or contains something that should never have been there.
You immediately raise a complaint.
Within minutes, a familiar response arrives:
"Sorry for the inconvenience. Your refund has been initiated."
Wonderful! Problem solved?
The ₹300 paid for the food may be refunded.
But what if someone has already eaten it?
What if they develop vomiting, diarrhoea, or food poisoning and require medical treatment?
Who takes responsibility for the medical expenses, the suffering, and the anxiety?
If a company can refund the price of spoiled food, can it also refund the health that was damaged?
A refund may resolve a payment dispute. It does not automatically resolve a food-safety failure.
The real questions are: What went wrong? Was the restaurant investigated? Were other customers exposed to the same risk? What steps were taken to prevent it from happening again?
Food safety cannot end with a refund notification.
Fine, Let's Cook at Home. But Are Our Ingredients Really Safe?
If eating outside is becoming a concern, the obvious solution seems to be cooking at home.
But even there, another question awaits us.
Are the vegetables, rice, pulses, cooking oils, and spices we bring into our kitchens genuinely safe?
In earlier generations, many families consumed vegetables grown in their own gardens or sourced from nearby farms.
Today, most of us buy produce without knowing where it was grown, what agricultural chemicals were used, or whether pesticide residues are within permitted safety limits.
Sometimes, we notice vegetables staying fresh for surprisingly long periods.
A tomato that remains firm for weeks may make us wonder:
"What has been used to keep this vegetable fresh for so long?"
Of course, longer shelf life does not automatically mean excessive pesticide use. Crop varieties, harvesting methods, temperature, storage, and handling can all influence freshness.
But that does not eliminate the larger concern.
How can an ordinary consumer verify the quality and safety of everything purchased from the market?
Our kitchens may be perfectly clean.
Our cooking methods may be healthy.
But what guarantee do we have about the ingredients entering our kitchens?
And when consumers cannot personally test every product, isn't that precisely why strong food-safety monitoring systems are necessary?
Health Problems in Our 30s… What Will Happen to the Next Generation?
Today, concerns about diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, fatty liver disease, and other chronic health conditions are increasingly part of conversations among younger adults.
Food is not the only factor. Genetics, physical inactivity, stress, poor sleep, and other lifestyle factors also contribute.
However, the nutritional quality of our diets and our long-term eating habits play an important role in health.
This raises a troubling question.
If our generation is already worried about health problems in its 30s, what kind of health challenges might our children face in the future?
We work hard to give our children a better education.
We save money, buy property, and build financial security for their future.
But are we doing enough to ensure they inherit a healthier food environment?
What is the point of leaving behind wealth if future generations must spend much of it managing preventable health problems?
Are we building a healthier future for our children, or simply building savings to pay their future hospital bills?
Food Safety Inspections: Are We Catching the Problem or Just Discovering It Too Late?
Food-safety authorities conduct inspections, seize unsafe products, and impose penalties for violations.
These actions are necessary.
But another uncomfortable question remains.
Are unsafe products found only in the places that are inspected? What about the places that are never checked?
Consumers cannot take every vegetable, spice packet, or restaurant meal to a laboratory before eating it.
That is why food-safety regulators exist.
Their responsibility should go beyond responding to complaints. Regular inspections, effective enforcement, transparent laboratory results, and clear public communication are essential.
Food businesses must be held accountable, and consumers must be able to make informed choices.
One Final Question…
Our ancestors believed that food was medicine.
Today, we sometimes find ourselves wondering whether the food on our plates might make us sick.
We work hard, earn money, and dream of a comfortable life.
We spend that money buying food to nourish ourselves and our families.
But if the very food we eat damages our health, forcing us to spend our hard-earned savings on medical treatment, what is the meaning of this progress?
We are not asking restaurants to serve food for free.
We are not asking companies for endless discounts.
We are not asking delivery platforms for cashback.
We are simply asking for safe food in exchange for the money we pay.
And that should never be considered an unreasonable demand.
Our ancestors left us the wisdom that food could be medicine.
What are we going to leave behind for the next generation?
A healthier life… or a lifetime of medical bills?
— Erithazhal | Special Editorial
