Times not all sweet for Karupatti makers

THOOTHUKUDI: The flooding of sugar-based jaggery at the market in the name of 'Karupatti' remains the biggest nightmare for traditional karupatti makers.

Karupatti is prepared using palmyra sap aka 'pathaneer' that secretes from palmyra palm trees between March and September. It is known for traditional and medicinal values across the world. The price of 1 kg karupatti is around Rs 300, whereas the price of one kg sugar-based jaggery is around Rs 50. Karupatti's premium price makes it a 'not everyone's choice'. Taking this fact into their advantage, more than 30 companies in Udangudi and Tiruchendur have been making sugar-based jaggery and marketing it as karupatti for years.  

Speaking to TNIE, palmyra palm tree grower Murugesan of Udangudi said: "These companies use cane sugar jaggery instead of pathaneer and add koopaini, a residue of panankarkandu, to achieve karupatti odour."

"The trees do not even secrete the sap for the next two months. However, the units in Udangudi continue to churn out several hundred kilos of sugar-jaggery and flood the market with it in the name of Karupatti," said Murugesan.

Social activist V Gunaselan said though the food safety officials had ordered sugar-made jaggery manufacturers not to use the term 'Karupatti', the manufacturers continue to defy the order.

Udangudi Farmers' Association President Chandrasekar said that these units should be sealed to protect the interests of karupatti makers.

Udangudi Karupatti Yavari Nala Sangam President Natarajan said: "We have requested the food safety officials to give a reasonable name for our product."

A senior food safety official told TNIE that it was hard to distinguish between karupatti and sugar-made jaggery as both have same level of sucrose. Food Safety Designated Officer Dr Mariapan told TNIE that he had collected 100 samples of Karupatti and panankarkandu from the suspected units, stock agents and shops. "As many as 17 units functioning in Udangudi have the proprietary licence to make confectionery. The Union government had ceased with the licence since June 1, 2020, due to various complaints. These units are supposed to apply for licence directly to Union government before June 31 this year," he added.