New Delhi, May 26 (IANS): There is no need to panic about the presence of chemicals like potassium bromate and potassium iodate in the pre-packaged daily bread, but excess of anything should be avoided, AIIMS director M.C. Mishra said on Thursday. “It might pose some danger but no individual eats entire pack of bread everyday... majority of people eat a piece or two at the most, so in the long-term, there is no need to panic much as has also been said by the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India),” he said. Dr Mishra made the observation while inaugurating a conference on “Health Security for All”, organised by industry association, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). “Usage of chemical additives in food items should be minimised and replaced with fresh food items like eggs, fruits, vegetables and other alternatives... besides one should eat everything in moderate quantity,” said the director of the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He further suggested that the government should launch a universal health service to ensure that every citizen is covered. “Everyone should get some insurance, everyone should pay for their health, be it Re.1 or Rs.10 a day as per individual’s capacity, and the government and tax-payers should contribute for people who cannot pay at all, as there is no other way to answer challenges being faced by health sector in India,” Misra said. Mishra meanwhile said that healthcare should become one of the main topics during elections as health nowhere falls into the priority of citizens.
