3 weeks ago
Experts Explain What's Allowed Amid Red Food Colour Crackdown
Red food colour is a dye added to food to make it look brighter and more appealing.
Some restaurants in India are now serving dishes like chicken lollipops without red colour.
They are reportedly afraid of a food safety official named Tukaram Mundhe, following a crackdown on unhygienic food.
Experts say red food colour is not completely banned.
Only approved, food-grade colours are allowed, and only in certain foods like bakery items and sweets.
Using paint or industrial dyes in food is very dangerous because they can contain things not meant for humans.
Too much of some colourings can make people feel sick, with tummy pain, nausea, headaches, or allergy-like reactions.
Experts think the answer is strict rules, clear labels, and punishment for illegal dyes, not banning everything.
Customers can simply ask restaurants whether artificial colouring has been added, and avoid food that looks unusually bright.
Social media reports say some eateries have stopped using red dye in dishes like chicken lollipops and Manchurian amid the Maharashtra FDA crackdown on unhygienic food.
Restaurant owners are reportedly serving these dishes without colour due to fear of FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe, though his office has not officially confirmed.
Experts clarify that red food colours are not universally banned; only FSSAI-approved, food-grade colours are permitted, and their use is limited to bakeries and sweet shops.
Doctors warn that excessive intake of certain synthetic colours may cause stomach discomfort, nausea, allergic-type symptoms or headaches in sensitive individuals, and industrial dyes are especially unsafe.
Experts advocate strict regulation, proper labelling and zero tolerance for illegal dyes instead of an outright ban on all red food colours.
- Who
- Maharashtra FDA and its chief Tukaram Mundhe, restaurant owners, and food-safety experts including chefs Montu Saini and Shipra Khanna, and gastroenterologists Dr Shankar Zanwar and Dr Saiprasad Lad.
- What
- A debate over whether red food colour is banned, triggered by the Maharashtra FDA crackdown on unhygienic food and reports that eateries are dropping red dye from dishes like chicken lollipops.
- Where
- Maharashtra, India, with experts quoted from hospitals in Mumbai.
- When
- Early August 2026; a viral tweet is dated August 6, 2026, and 'red food colour' has been trending on Google for the past 24 hours.
- Why
- To ensure food safety, since non-permitted or industrial dyes may be unsafe, while FSSAI-approved food-grade colours remain legally allowed.
Outright ban supporters
Strict regulation supporters
How to handle red food colour
Outright ban supporters
Some argue for banning red food colours outright, since synthetic dyes serve no nutritional purpose and can cause stomach issues, nausea and headaches. The FDA crackdown is already pushing eateries to drop colour from dishes.
Strict regulation supporters
Experts say an outright ban is unnecessary. FSSAI-approved, food-grade colours are legally permitted within limits, so the focus should be on strict regulation, testing, clear labelling and zero tolerance for illegal or industrial dyes.
Artificial colour in restaurant food
Outright ban supporters
Restaurant owners reportedly fear penalties and are serving chicken lollipops and Manchurian without colour, reflecting concern that brightly coloured food may be treated as unsafe.
Strict regulation supporters
Food-grade colour is commonly used to make food look attractive and consistent, and consumers can simply ask restaurants whether artificial colouring has been added before ordering.
Key facts
- Regulator
- FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India)
- Enforcement
- Maharashtra FDA crackdown on unhygienic food
- FDA chief
- Tukaram Mundhe
- Permitted use
- Food-grade FSSAI-approved colours, limited to bakeries and sweet shops
- Affected dishes
- Chicken lollipop, Manchurian
- Trending
- 'Red food colour' trending on Google for past 24 hours
- Potential symptoms
- Stomach discomfort, nausea, allergic-type symptoms, headaches
Quotes
Dr Shankar Zanwar
Senior consultant gastroenterologist, Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai
“Excessive intake of certain synthetic colours may cause reactions in sensitive individuals, such as stomach discomfort, nausea or allergic‑type symptoms. Some people may also experience headaches or other symptoms after consuming particular food additives. Using industrial or non‑food‑grade colours is especially unsafe because they may contain contaminants that are not meant for human consumption.”
indianexpress.com
“Red food colours have been banned for a long time. FSSAI or the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India lists the permitted food colours that can be used. Even the use is only limited to bakeries and sweet shops. So, it has to be a food‑graded, FSSAI‑approved colour for it to be used.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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