FOOD QUALITY SURVEILLANCE ON COLORS IN EATABLES SOLD IN RURAL MARKETSOF UTTAR-PRADESH

A statistically designed survey was undertaken to find out the magnitu de, and usage pattern of artificial colours in sweets, savoury product s (namkins), and powdered turmeric, and red chilli. Of 2057 samples, d rawn from 224 village markets from 56 districts of Uttar Pradesh, 32% contained artificial colours of which 61.6% were non-permitted. In the artificially coloured eatables, 39% sweets, 85% namkins, and all the samples of powdered turmeric, as well as chilli contained non-permitte d colours. Seven non-food grade dyes used include metanil yellow, oran ge II, Sudan I, rhodamine B, Blue VRS, auramine, and Sudan III/IV.