Bengaluru's Empire restaurant found using banned colours for kebabs, health dept to initiate action
Ambarish Gowda, Food Safety Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), inspected the Empire outlet near Anand Rao Circle on June 27 during a routine check, and collected 2 kilograms of chicken kebab samples for laboratory analysis. Later, the Authority collected more samples from six outlets, and all of them were declared as unsafe for consumption.
Test results from the State Food Laboratory of the Public Health Institute, released on July 11, showed that the kebabs failed to meet the safety standards mandated under the Food Product Standards & Food Additives Regulations, 2011. Consequently, the food was officially declared unsafe under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said there is a law prohibiting the use of Sunset Yellow. 'After getting to know about it in the past, we had warned them (Empire). However, they are using [the colour]. We again took the kebabs for tests from six of their outlets, and we will initiate action against them,' the minister said Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)'s Food Safety and Drug Administration (North Zone) has issued a formal notice requiring the restaurant to respond within 30 days. According to officials, Empire can request a retest of samples at the Central Food Technological Research Institute-Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Mysuru, at their own expense.
When The Indian Express contacted Empire restaurant authorities, they said they would revert with their response to the issue. However, they are yet to respond at the time of publishing the news article.
According to sources, the Empire outlets were using Sunset Yellow, an artificial colour for the kebabs, which is said to be harmful, especially among children.
In June this year, the Karnataka Government banned the usage of artificial colours in chicken kebabs, fish and vegetarian food items across the state. As many as 39 kebab samples were collected from various parts of the state, and when tested, seven kebab samples had sunset yellow and one contained both sunset yellow and carmoisine.
Thereafter, the department issued an order on June 21 stating, 'Such additives, as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products, Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, pose serious health risks to consumers.'
The violation of the rules can lead to imprisonment ranging from a minimum of seven years up to a life term and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
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