Chennai: About 75 per cent of women buy branded chilli powder, according to a survey by the Centre of Consumer Education, Research, Teaching, Training and Testing (Concert). While 81 per cent use chillies for their taste, 34 per cent are not aware of the quality of the chilli powder they are buying.
G. Santhanarajan, director, Concert, says, “Chillies are good for digestion. It has a compound, called ‘capsaicin’, that makes the brain produce endorphins, which are natural painkillers.”
The consumer should be aware of adulteration of chilli powder with brick powder. Companies were now getting more adept at adding things that could not be directly detected or checked.
Adding of vegetable oils up to a level of 2 per cent was permitted in chilli powder to retain its natural colour and pungency, Mr Santhanarajan said. Such addition is usually declared on the label and people should check this. However, vegetable oils were replaced by mineral oil sometimes, a cancer-causing agent.
Mr Santhanarajan said that it was advisable to grind one’s own chilli powder, using organic chillies, or buy a popular brand. It was best to avoid buying it loose. Growing chillies in one’s own kitchen garden was the best way as the produce was free of pesticide or fertiliser.
