Shiv Sena UBT MP flags carcinogenic dye in roasted chana, demands urgent action

Mumbai, Nov 24 Shiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday, in a letter to Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, has raised serious concerns about the illegal use of Auramine—a carcinogenic dye—in roasted chana and other foods and demanded urgent action.

She has cited recent reports showing the industrial dye, commonly used in textiles and leather, is being illegally added to food products to enhance their appearance, in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Chaturvedi raised an alarm over recent evidence showing that Auramine, an industrial dye typically used for textiles and leather, is being illegally added to roasted chana (chickpeas) to enhance its colour.

She termed this not merely a violation of food safety norms but "a threat to the health, safety, and trust of millions of Indian citizens, and a failure of regulatory oversight by the FSSAI."

She emphasised that Auramine is strictly prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. She noted that it is recognised by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) as a potential carcinogen, linked to cancers of the liver, kidney, and bladder, as well as neurological harm.

"Despite these clear dangers and prohibitions, this adulteration continues unchecked," she added.

Pointing to systemic failures in enforcement, the Rajya Sabha MP identified several gaps, including weak market surveillance, inadequate routine testing, delayed public warnings, poor enforcement, insufficient compliance checks and no clear accountability for lapses.

“These gaps have allowed an outright illegal and dangerous practice to persist without scrutiny or consequence," she noted.

Chaturvedi has urged the Ministry to take immediate action on multiple fronts.

She has demanded that the Ministry should issue a national health alert on Auramine contamination, conduct nationwide testing of roasted chana and related foods to identify contaminated batches and sources, take strict measures including inspections, lab testing, license cancellation, fines, and imprisonment for violators, direct state health departments for parallel testing and enforcement and undertake internal audit of FSSAI protocols to identify systemic lapses enabling this violation.

“The use of carcinogenic dyes in food is an unacceptable breach of public safety. It is incumbent upon the Ministry to urgently intervene to protect public health and restore consumer confidence in food safety mechanisms," Chaturvedi asserted.

The Thackeray camp MP's letter comes amid growing concerns about food adulteration in India and raises serious questions about the effectiveness of food safety regulation and enforcement mechanisms in the country.

The matter has been flagged for urgent ministerial attention, with Chaturvedi calling for swift and decisive action to protect the health of millions of Indian consumers who regularly consume roasted chana and similar food products.

--IANS

sj/dan

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