Home / Health / UP Bans Toxic Dyes in Street Food!
UP Bans Toxic Dyes in Street Food!
27 Oct
Summary
- Prohibited industrial dyes like Rhodamine-B found in food items.
- New guidelines restrict colour use in street food, sweets, and bakery.
- Violators face hefty penalties, imprisonment for unsafe food.
Uttar Pradesh's food safety regulator has implemented strict guidelines to curb the use of prohibited industrial dyes in food items, following discoveries of toxic colours in products like red chutney. The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has issued detailed instructions, particularly emphasizing street food, sweets, and bakery products.
These new rules prohibit colours in chutneys, advising vendors to use natural ingredients like tomatoes and beetroot. Similarly, artificial colours are banned in cotton candy and ice lollies, with Rhodamine-B, an industrial dye, specifically targeted. This dye, along with others like Metanil Yellow and Sudan dyes, poses significant health risks, including potential liver and kidney damage.
While permitted artificial colours can be used in specific food categories like sweets and cakes within prescribed limits, their application is strictly regulated. The guidelines also explicitly ban colour addition in several everyday items, including milk products, fresh produce, beverages, ground spices, and cooked foods like dal and biryani.
Furthermore, vendors are now required to use digital weighing scales for accurate measurement of colours and to purchase them only from authorized sources, maintaining purchase records. Non-compliance with these regulations can lead to substantial penalties under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, ranging from fines up to Rs 5 lakh to imprisonment for serious violations.
