Food Colour Standards in India`
I would like to ask members of this circle and Bureau of Standards if there are any standards for food colours in India. It seems many sweet shops etc use colours that are cancerous in nature. FSSAI doesnt do any enforcement when it comes to food colours and the inspectors in state governments themselves dont have any knowledge. They collect fees/hafta/mahina and disappear. So who is ensuring that foods that Indians are consuming are not made with cancerous colours. Please share your knowledge and if there are standards, those standards. FSSAI fails to share information as an organisation. more
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We do have everything on records. We have plenty of laws & rules, big departments with plenty of officers and inspectors to ensure strict compliance of the said laws & rules by the concerned but seriously lack the desired political will coupled with corruption at all levels. So it is the responsibility of the individuals to ensure to be in the safe zone along with his/her family, though you are liable to pay taxes in every walk of your life honestly and timely. You must be coming across of news every day that the things/ingredients strictly prohibited in other countries on health ground are recklessly used in eatables in our country and the concerned government authorities are just silent spectators. more
Apr 05
Yes, it is fact that FSSAI is not taking any steps, nor the Health inspectors in state governments are showing any concern. more
Mar 22
Vijaya has pointed out a very serious matter. Now a days cancer has become a common disease even in literate states like Kerala because Keralites consume large amounts of bakery items most of which are very rich in color. Those centuries when traditional colors occuring in nature were in use as mentioned by Shri Kaushikk Vyas has gone along with Krishna dwaipayana(Veda) Vyas himself. People use very dangerous synthetic colors for the sake of making money.Even the pale yellow jalebi is enriched with sunset yellow , a potent carcinogen. Most of the compounds that impart color are nitrogenous compounds which contain nitrogen. Most of the nitrogen containing compounds can cause cancer. Red colors are azo dyes and is again a potent carcinogen. Tartrazine is another carcinogen that is again used in bakery items. As mentioned by Vijaya we have no color standards. I could see a company in Kinfra Park Kochi who is making purely natural colors. But their colors are very costly. Unless the govt involves and prohibits the selling and using of synthetic colors we have to start only cancer hospitals instead of other developmental institutions more
Mar 21
Dr. Padmanabhan, it seems you have not read my comments correctly. I only stated that colours are used in food items from century n these days the colours made from collar which are carcinogenic. I gave example of metal yellow you mentioned about sunset yellow, so I on same page as far as the danger of so called food products. Of course I am not a doctorate like you , and not living in the stone age sir.
I have also suggested not to buy coloured food items, sweets, confectioneries. So do you think I am referring to krishnadwayipayan vedam vyas era. more
I have also suggested not to buy coloured food items, sweets, confectioneries. So do you think I am referring to krishnadwayipayan vedam vyas era. more
Mar 21
Friends, the so called food colours are in use since centuries world over. The standards are there which were formulated over a period of time and has undergone many changes. Food n drug Dept.have copied many such standards from other nations. We don't have our own standards with respect to Indian context. Early days all such colors were manufactured from coltar, then in recent years the so called natural food colours came in the market. India being a wast country n simple excuse about manpower has led to many unhealthy practices. Just for example the so called food colour Metanil Yellow, largely used food colour which also has adverse effects if used in higher quantity than the prescribed limits. But as said here by a member the users or the sweetshops owners have their cooks without any education. It is always advisable to only buy n consume any food products or sweets, confectioneries without colours. Local circle can start the awareness and movement about not to purchase any coloured food products. If you read on the packets of such food items printed with. FSSAI numbers n the ingredients you will find permissible food colours, preservatives, emulsifiers etc. Who can make head and tail about any such information, n who bothers to read it all. Many synthetic colouring agents are probably carcinogenic if consumed daily and in certain quantity, particularly children. Prevention is better than cure. more
Mar 21
In India, the food preparation and marketing was done by illitrate or untrained scientifically and no one knows whether any standards to be followed and no detailed instructions available. The colour marketers sell their stuff where in demand and also colours and preserve ties may be costlier than chemical days which are availeble in normal hardware shops and also minimum aunties may be more than 50 gm packings more
Mar 20
