On November 4, 2021, Indians all across the world will celebrate Diwali. It's the season for exchanging gifts and catching up with family and friends over wonderful dinners. A selection of traditional sweets and mithai are a must-have for any Diwali buffet. We've all been guilty of overindulging in Diwali-ki-mithai at one time or another, whether it was motichoor ke ladoo or plain khoya barfi, Kaju katli, Pista barfi, and so much more. These become seductive due to the festive atmosphere, and before you know it, you've consumed far more than you intended! Spend a few minutes, though, thinking about what goes into manufacturing these classic sweets; how are they created in large quantities to suit rising demand, and what is the quality of the ingredients used? Due to increased demand, some stores may be forced to compromise on quality by adulterating their products.

Anju Majeed, Senior Scientist and Director of Sami Labs, stated that "In recent years, the adulteration of sweets and the use of artificial colours to make them more appealing has become a big health problem. The demand for these sweets increases throughout Diwali, which may increase the likelihood of your favourite sweets being contaminated with inferior flour, low-grade fat, or oil. There is also a strong possibility that you may face an elevated health risk if you ingest these sweets, which can range from diarrhoea and vomiting to food poisoning."

"Due to increased demand, some stores may be forced to compromise on quality by adulterating their products."

Diwali 2021: Here are 5 sweets suggested by Anju Majeed that you should be most careful of during the festival season

1. Khoye ki Barfi (Mawa): Most mithais consumed during celebrations are prepared using khoya, which is one of the most contaminated substances used to manufacture sweets. Some unscrupulous dealers are suspected of adding wheat or rice flour (starch) to boost the amount. So, even if you're creating a mithai with khoya, be cautious and double-check its cleanliness.
   
   
2. Motichoor Ladoo : Dr. Saurabh Arora, Director of Auriga Research and Arbro Pharmaceuticals, stated that "The majority of customers choose sweets and savoury items that offer the appearance of high quality. This is why merchants utilise vivid, and often illegal, colours in their sweets and savouries. Artificial colours are used by these providers because they are less costly, more stable and long-lasting, and provide an attractive vivid colour to the product." Motichoor ladoo is one such mithai that should only be purchased from reputable vendors throughout the holiday season.
   
   
3. Kaju Katli : The silver varq on kaju katli adds to the charm of this famous traditional mithai. If silver is used as a culinary additive, it must be 99.9% pure, according to Indian standards. However, given the high cost of silver, it is possible that merchants are using aluminium foils that merely appear to be silver varq. As a result, making kaju katli at home is an excellent way to protect yourself from the dangerous effects of these bogus chemicals.
   
   
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4. Kaju Pista Roll : If you believe you are eating sweets made with real pista and cashews, you should reconsider. Not genuine nuts are used; instead, artificial or synthetic flavours are employed. Because pistas and cashew nuts are costly, this is done to save money and make the mithai last longer.
   
   
5. Paneer Barfi : The paneer used to create the barfi may include too much corn starch in place of milk extract. In certain circumstances, it also contains hazardous compounds and urea. As a result, it is important to get paneer mithai from a reputable supplier or create it at home. While these are only a handful of the mithais that have been found to be substantially contaminated, there are many more that are flooding the markets.

Health experts recommend either switching to dairy-free homemade sweets or eating alternatives such as chocolate and almonds. Be cautious of what you buy next, and only buy your Diwali sweets from reputable merchants and sellers.

Stay healthy and enjoy! Happy Diwali 2021!