Type, extent and use of colours in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods prepared in the non-industrial sector - a case study from Hyderabad, India

The type and extent of colours added to ready-to-eat (RTE) foods prepared in the non-industrial sector of India was investigated. Of the 545 RTE foods analysed, 90% contained permitted colours, 2% contained a combination of permitted and non-permitted colours and 8% contained only non-permitted colours. However in RTE foods with permitted colours, 73% exceeded 100 ppm, as prescribed by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of India, and 27% were within the prescribed levels. Among the permitted colours, tartrazine was the most widely used colour followed by sunset yellow. The maximum concentration of colours was detected in sweet meats (18 767 ppm), non-alcoholic beverages (9450 ppm), miscellaneous foods (6106 ppm) and hard-boiled sugar confectioneries (3811 ppm). Among the non-permitted colours found, rhodamine was most commonly used. Some of the foods, such as savouries and miscellaneous foods like sugar coated aniseed and almond milk, are not supposed to contain colours as per the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, but were found to contain colours.