Palamu Mustard Oil Incident: Six people of the same family have lost their lives due to adulterated mustard oil in Palamu district of Jharkhand. These six people died due to a deadly disease called 'epidemic dropsy'.

adulterated mustard oil

Palamu Mustard Oil Incident: Adulteration has become rampant in the market these days. In Sikka village, Palamu district, Jharkhand, six members of a single family tragically died after consuming adulterated mustard oil. Initial investigations revealed that the oil the victims were using was adulterated with Argemone Mexicana, also known as "Satyanashi" or "Yellow Dhatura." According to the investigation report of the State Food Testing Laboratory in Ranchi, these six people died from a deadly disease called "epidemic dropsy." Let's find out how dangerous such oil is.

How did six people die?

Dr. Anil Kumar Srivastava, the civil surgeon of Palamu district, confirmed the cause of these deaths. He stated that these deaths were not due to any mysterious disease, but rather the use of adulterated mustard oil, known as Argemone Mexicana. Kuldeep Mahato was the first to die in the family on June 19th. His daughter, Babita Kumari, died the following day. Upon hearing the news of his father and sister's deaths, Anuj Mahato, who was working in Bengaluru, immediately returned home. His younger sister, Indu Kumari, died on June 26th, and his wife, Shweta Devi, died on June 28th. His brother, Nakul Mahato, died on June 29th, and his mother, Lakho Devi, died on July 8th.

How dangerous is adulterated mustard oil?

In fact, mustard seeds and argemone seeds are quite similar in appearance. When adulterated oil enters our bodies, it acts as a slow poison. Argemone oil contains a toxic compound called sanguinarine, which directly damages delicate organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys.

How to avoid adulterated mustard oil?

In such a situation, you can identify pure and adulterated mustard oil at home. The smell of pure mustard oil is very pungent and tingles the nose. If the smell is missing from the oil or there is a strange smell, then the oil may be adulterated. Meanwhile, the color of pure oil is dark yellow and thick. Oil that appears very clear, light, or watery may be adulterated. Nowadays, adulterated oil and other food items are being sold in large quantities in the market; hence, we have to be careful that the shopkeeper is not selling us adulterated products.