Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Food Safety Department carried out an action in the Siyaganj area to check the possible use of a banned colour in roasted gram and collected the sample from two shops in Indore district on Tuesday.
The action was taken after reports surfaced about the illegal use of an inedible industrial dye known as auramine, which is allegedly being added to roasted gram to make it look more appealing.
According to officials, the team visited two establishments in Siyaganj and collected four samples of roasted gram from Maa Vaishno Traders and Jain Chana Parmal. These samples have been sealed and will be sent to the laboratory to check for the presence of auramine.
Authorities said that further action against the concerned traders will be taken only after the test reports are received. If the samples are found to be unsafe or in violation of food safety norms, strict action will be initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Officials also informed that this action is part of a wider nationwide drive. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had taken note of the issue and issued instructions to food safety commissioners across the country to conduct checks on roasted gram.
Following these directions, the Madhya Pradesh Food Safety Commissioner also ordered inspections and sampling across the state.
Earlier, a divisional food safety team formed by the Bhopal headquarters had already collected four samples of gram from other locations.
