COLOURING
AGENTS – SCI & TECH
News:
Why has Karnataka banned
certain colouring agents? | Explained
What's
in the news?
●
Karnataka
became the third State in South India to ban the use of
certain colouring agents in cotton candy
and gobi manchurian that are found to be harmful.
Key
takeaways:
1.
Extent of Contamination:
●
The survey conducted by the Public Health
Department revealed alarming findings regarding the presence of harmful
chemicals in food samples.
2.
Unsafe Samples:
●
Out of 25 cotton candy samples collected,
15 were deemed unsafe due to the presence of added colours. Similarly, among
the 171 samples of gobi manchurian collected, 107 were declared unsafe as they
contained added colours.
3.
Immediate Action:
●
Prompt action was taken by the government
following the survey results to address the issue of contaminated food items.
Harmful
Chemicals:
1.
Identified Substances:
●
The unsafe samples of cotton candy
contained traces of sunset yellow,
tartrazine, and rhodamine-b, while unsafe gobi manchurian samples had tartrazine, sunset yellow, and carmoisine.
2.
Regulatory Restrictions:
●
Tartrazine,
though an approved artificial food colour, has restrictions on its usage,
especially in freshly prepared food items.
●
Prolonged consumption of snacks with
artificial colours is linked to severe health issues, including cancer, according to health officials.
3.
Public Health Concerns:
●
The presence of these harmful chemicals in
food items poses significant risks to public health, leading to the urgent need
for regulatory action.
Penalties
and Enforcement:
1.
Legal Ramifications:
●
The Food
Safety and Standards Act imposes strict penalties, including fines and jail
terms, for violating regulations related to food additives.
2.
Imposed Penalties:
●
Offenders using banned chemical substances
in food products face fines starting from 10 lakh and imprisonment ranging from
seven years to life imprisonment.
3.
Immediate Enforcement:
●
The ban on harmful chemicals is
immediately effective, and stringent enforcement measures, including license cancellations and random checks, will
be undertaken.
Go
back to basics:
Food
Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
●
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body
established under the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare, Government of India.
●
It operates under the Food Safety and
Standards Act, 2006, which consolidates statutes related to food safety and
regulation in India.
Vision:
●
FSSAI aims to build a new India by
ensuring citizens have access to safe
and nutritious food, preventing diseases, and promoting a healthy
lifestyle.
Mission:
●
FSSAI sets globally benchmarked standards
for food, encourages adherence to these standards by food businesses, promotes
good manufacturing practices, and facilitates access to safe and appropriate
food for citizens.
Functions:
●
Regulating and supervising food safety to
protect and promote public health.
●
Establishing standards and guidelines for food articles.
●
Providing licensing, registration, and
accreditation for food business operators.
●
Mandating
food licensing for anyone selling or importing food in India.
●
Directly monitoring compliance with food
regulations, particularly for imported food products.
●
Conducting food import controls and
ensuring imported products meet safety standards through laboratory
inspections.
●
Accrediting food testing laboratories
across India.
●
Overseeing food certification in India.
●
Specifying enforcement systems for its
standards, accrediting certification systems, and certifying food safety
management systems for food businesses.