Kerala Food Safety Dept's inspection reveals increased use of synthetic colours among food centres

Thiruvananthapuram: The Food Safety Department has found the increased use of synthetic colours in food items served in restaurants and delivered to homes across Kerala. It is learnt that the samples collected and tested by the department once a month were found to contain more than 100 percent of permitted synthetic colours. 

As per reports, most of the colourants were spotted on dishes such as kuzhimanthi and chicken biryani served in restaurants. In addition, coliform bacteria were traced in bottled water too. 

Synthetic colours used in food items

Chilli gobi, Al fam, chicken fry - Sunset Yellow 

Banana fritters (pazham pori), tea rusk, packet murukku, banana chips, cake - Tartrazine 

Packet chapati - Benzoic acid, Sorbic acid