Despite a ban on the use of artificial food colours in food preparation, a popular restaurant chain in Bengaluru has been found to be using synthetic food colours in chicken kebabs.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA), through its State-level inspection and laboratory testing, has declared chicken kebab samples from one of the several outlets of Empire Restaurant in Bengaluru ‘unsafe’ for consumption.
Officials from FSDA said chicken kebab samples were collected from several Empire branches. The samples from the chain’s outlet in Gandhinagar was specifically flagged after two kilograms of kebab samples were collected from there and tested in the State Food Laboratory at the Public Health Institute on June 26.
“Upon testing, the lab confirmed that the food item was unsafe, based on parameters prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. A notice has now been issued to the Empire Restaurant in Gandhinagar, giving them 30 days to respond,” a top official said.
The restaurant has been given the option of challenging the report by placing a request for retesting the second part of the food sample at CFTRI, Mysuru, at their own cost, within the 30-day window. If no response is received within that period, legal action under the FSSAI Act will be initiated, the official said.
Last year’s ban
In June last year, the government had banned the use of artificial colours in kebabs made with vegetables, chicken, and fish across the State and had warned those involved in the manufacturing and sale of kebabs in the State to strictly comply with the ban.
The decision then followed an analysis of 39 kebab samples from various locations in the State by government-run laboratories. Tests had revealed that eight of the 39 samples were unsafe owing to the presence of artificial colouring agents. While the presence of sunset yellow colour was found in seven samples, one sample had sunset yellow and carmoisine colours, which are harmful to health.
“The use of such additives is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products, Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, as they pose serious health risks to consumers. Hence, the use of such artificial colours has been banned in the preparation of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebabs,” the official order had stated.
The violation of these rules can lead to imprisonment, ranging from a minimum of seven years up to life term and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh under Rule 59 of the Act, the order stated.
Prior to that, in March, the State government had banned the use of artificial colours in edible items such as gobi manchurian and cotton candy. The ban was imposed after carcinogenic chemicals were found in the artificial colours used in these food items.
