We have all grown up listening to our parents and grandparents telling us to eat ghee for a healthy life, getting fed by parathas soaked in ghee (love). So much is ghee, a part of our lives that it would somehow even make way into our “fat-free”- health conscious diets. In fact, Ghrit or ghee is called the ahar or source of nourishment for devas. It is this food that endows the devas with their attributes and is an important ingredient in a yagya. Also a diya lit by ghee is considered to have more tej than one lit using other oils.
However this divine food has now fallen prey to the greed of the modern man. So much so that it is now laden with substances not just unhealthy for humans but also toxic!
Today the ghee available in the market is smeared with cow fat. Fat from abdominal cavity and other parts of dead animals is used in the manufacturing of desi ghee by popular brands [1]. So many cows and buffaloes that are put to death everyday eventually find their way into our food. In fact numerous research studies have confirmed the presence of pig, dog and other animal fat in the ghee that we eat. Crushed animals bones are added to give ghee its grainy texture! [1][2][3]
And the milk that is used to make the ghee is itself mixed with unimaginable number of chemicals – unhygienic starch, urea, detergent, water paints, oils, alkali and even chemicals like ammonium sulphate, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate and boric acid.[4] And this is just the substance adulteration that happens. When one considers the unhealthy and cruel conditions in which the dairy animals are kept, it keeps getting worse. Cows are impregnated all-round the year to ensure that they can be milked. A new born calf is taken away from the mother, lest it drinks the profit away! And they are injected with chemicals to make them produce more milk. When all this negative emotion and pain eventually makes way into our food, imagine its impact on our health. Even the apex court and various high courts of our country have raised concerns about the present state and lax attitude of the authorities in curbing these activities. [5][6][7]
Prolonged usage of such adulterated material can drastically reduce the immunity of the body and cause serious health issues. No wonder cases of stomach disorder, general fatigue, heart problems and even cancer have increased manifolds in the last two decades.
And taking advantage of this fear psychosis one can find many ‘organic ghee’ products in the market. It is very important that people should not get swayed by fancy names of the products and make sure they are cognizant of what they are buying.
So should one stop eating ghee completely? No. Innumerable texts have confirmed the large benefits of ghee. In fact Ayurveda prescribes ghee for its healing properties and nutritional value. What one should do is to find a source of pure cow milk in an area nearby and if possible prepare ghee at home or if you buy double check for its purity and the process of making it. And next time you add an extra layer of ghee, remember it has lot more than love and not everything in it is edible!!
Dhyan Foundation volunteers are actively involved in taking care of cows and helping people do so. We have many gaushalas across the country and even help injured animals. To join our cause or report any incident, please contact +91-9999099423.
Sources:
- http://jammu.greaterkashmir.com/news/2013/Feb/19/deep-desi-ghee-found-adulterated-manufacturer-distributor-penalised-15.asp
- http://www.worldcat.org/title/adulteration-of-butter-and-ghee-with-animal-fat-and-vegetable-ghee-and-its-detection/oclc/25811650
- Detection of adulteration in “ghee” (clarified butter) by the ultra-violet fluorescence technique-http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19400401383.html;jsessionid=C77ECB2F84DF8429D5755572F3FFF449
- Detection of pig and buffalo body fat in cow and buffalo ghees by differential scanning calorimetry- http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02660216#page-1
- http://www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/Adulteration(26.02.14).pdf
- http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/ghee-adulteration-hc-says-collect-samples-as-per-standard-method/635441/
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/HC-summons-SP-over-adulterated-ghee/articleshow/7219670.cms
- http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/353865/sc-notice-to-govt-on-supply-of-adulterated-milk/
Thank you for highlighting this issue of toxic dairy produce. As a chef in an Iskcon temple I am trying to source ahimsa ghee from protected cows that will never face slaughter and whose progeny male or female will also be guaranteed a slaughter-free life. Our temple is in Scotland and we are embarking on a cow protection project. Can you send me email addresses of your gaushals please