Trade leaders seek withdrawal of order banning use of aluminium utensils in mid-day meal

New Delhi, Aug 1 (KNN) The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to lift the order banning use of aluminium utensils in mid-day meal across India.

The Union Ministry of Health recently issued a circular regarding the ill effects of cooking in aluminium utensils.

This circular has been sent to the Union Ministry of Education with the intention to discourage the use of aluminium utensils in their mid-day meal schemes across India.

CAIT has made the withdrawal request keeping in view the adverse impact of this circular on the country's aluminium trade and its far-reaching consequences on Aluminium trade.

Questioning the justification of this circular, the CAIT has also sought an appointment with the Union Minister Rajesh Bhushan to discuss the issue in detail with CAIT and trade leaders of aluminium trade.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal and President of All India Aluminium Utensils Manufacturers Association Brijmohan Agarwal said that the government's order will have a huge adverse impact on the aluminium utensils industry.

They said that on the one hand pressure cookers and other utensils made of aluminium have been brought under the ambit of BIS and therefore it is difficult to understand as to how the use of aluminium utensils became harmful only for mid-day meal.

A large population of the country still uses these utensils because of their cheap in prices. Not everyone in the country can use stainless steel or crockery, so banning the use of these utensils is not justified, they said.

BC Bhartia, National President of CAIT said that cooking food in aluminium cookware is not harmful to our health in any way. In fact, it is the best metal for cooking and there are other documents including test reports to prove it.

Rumours that aluminium utensils are injurious to health seem to be spread mainly by manufacturers of competing metal utensils, said Bhartia.  (KNN Bureau)