Food Colouring Risks: Stricter Safety Enforcement

FOOD COLOURING RISKS PROMPT STRICTER FOOD SAFETY ENFORCEMENT

WHY IN NEWS ?

• Regulatory Action: Uttar Pradesh’s Food Safety and Drug Administration issued detailed guidelines on the use of food colours after authorities detected non-food-grade industrial dyes in chutney.
• Public Health: The move aims to prevent food adulteration, restrict hazardous dyes such as Rhodamine-B, and ensure compliance with food safety standards during the festive season.

FOOD COLOURING: KEY RESTRICTIONS AND CONCERNS

• Chutney Restrictions: Vendors have been advised not to add artificial colours to green and red chutneys served with samosas, chaat, momos and rolls. Natural ingredients such as tomatoes, beetroot, coriander and mint can provide colour.
• Industrial Dyes: The use of Rhodamine-B, a dye used in textile and paper industries, is prohibited in food. Similar restrictions apply to other industrial dyes used to enhance the appearance of sweets, cotton candy, ice lollies and cooked foods.
• Safer Alternatives: Vendors preparing tandoori chicken, kebabs, chaap and fried fish have been advised to use suitable food ingredients, such as Kashmiri red chilli and degi mirch, for colour and flavour.
• Health Risks: Prolonged exposure to Rhodamine-B may damage the liver and is suspected of increasing cancer risk. Certain permitted synthetic colours, such as tartrazine and carmoisine, may also trigger hypersensitivity reactions in susceptible individuals.
• Other Prohibited Dyes: Industrial colourants such as Metanil Yellow, Butter Yellow, Malachite Green, Auramine and Sudan dyes may be illegally used to make spices, pulses, edible oils and sauces appear more attractive.

FOOD SAFETY REGULATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

• Legal Framework: The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, provides penalties for substandard, misbranded and unsafe food, including fines and imprisonment depending on the nature of the violation.
• Permitted Colours: Under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, artificial colours may be used only in authorised food categories and within prescribed limits.
• Category-Specific Rules: A colour permitted in cakes cannot automatically be used in bread, chutney or other products because safety depends on the food category, quantity and processing conditions.
• Consumer Protection: Stronger inspections, laboratory testing and vendor awareness can reduce adulteration and protect consumers from harmful substances.
• Implementation Needs: Authorities should strengthen street-food inspections, trace the supply of industrial dyes, penalise violators and educate small vendors about approved food-grade colours.