Sir: In the past few years, adulteration of food has become one of the most serious problems. Most sellers of essential food items like butter, ghee, spices and milk, adulterate them. The consumption of adulterated food causes diseases like cancer, asthma, ulcer etc. Majority of adulterants used by the shopkeeper are cheap substitutes which are easily available. This is very harmful to the health of people. The main reason for food adulteration is the fact that pure food is in short supply. The prices of pure food are high. The shopkeepers adulterate various food itmes and sell them at cheaper rates and in greater quantities to earn more money. Food production should be increased through better and modern methods. More dairy farms should be opened to increase the production of dairy products like milk, cheese and butter. There should be better facilities for transporting food from villages to market places. The people involved in this malpractice should be punished heavily. The government should take immediate actions against this evil. IFFAT FATIMA Via Email