Saffron is more expensive in France, in other words. It’s the cheapest of the seven spices mentioned in India’s Ayurveda, but not necessarily cheaper than a large quantity of garlic. For example, according to the book ‘Ayurveda and Science’, garlic oil is more expensive in France than in India — by a factor of four to three, depending on the quality of the country. But saffron is so good that it costs $8 for a 30-gram bag on the French black market.
How do Indian health officials get their facts straight?
They’re often wrong, too. A recent study carried out on a small sample size by the Centre for Science and Environment at the Indian Statistical Institute, which looked into the safety of saffron, determined that it poses no health risks compared with garlic or onion (though they say the study is too small for conclusions to be drawn). There has been much confusion about the safety of saffron since it was first imported into India in the 17th century and has been grown and eaten there ever since. The Indian Medical Council, which advises the public to avoid saffron, states on its website that “soap, lemon juice, vinegar and salt are the only acceptable solutions to kill germs, viruses and fungi and to disinfect water.” But that’s not really accurate: it says that “viral diseases”, especially those not found anywhere else, should be avoided in water.
But the same website also advises against buying fresh garlic, suggesting that the smell is more damaging than the oil. The World Health Organisation’s latest report states that “fresh garlic is not to be consumed in large quantities as the oil has high volatility. A small amount of oil in a food can be poisonous to the consumer.”
What about saffron being bad for the environment?
The World Health Organisation has said that saffron has a “medium to high” risk of spreading disease. A study published in the Journal of Economic Botany last year found that it is not a particularly useful source of nutrition for humans and is more a natural mineral than a plant. So it shouldn’t be consumed outside India.
The Indian government is currently reviewing the environmental impact of saffron, but does not recommend banning it. Instead, it has urged people to stop consuming it. As it currently stands, a section of Hindu holy texts prescribe consuming saffron as part of a religious ritual. While this would give the government and its
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