Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi reached out to Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday, November 24, to draw his attention to a serious health risk. She highlighted that Auramine, a carcinogenic
industrial dye, is allegedly being added to roasted chana and other food products to enhance their colour. She has urged the Ministry to take urgent measures to protect consumers and prevent further contamination.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Chaturvedi highlighted the issue and shared a photo of the letter she sent to the Health Minister. She pointed out that Auramine is being added to food items to enhance their colour, which is a clear violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The MP further said that “it is a threat to the health, safety, and trust of millions of Indian citizens, and a failure of regulatory oversight by the FSSAI.”
“With contamination of cough syrup having led to several deaths, high time we prioritised public health,” she added.
Auramine: A Serious Health Threat
In her letter, Chaturvedi explained the dangers of Auramine. She wrote, “Auramine is strictly prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It is recognised by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) as a potential carcinogen, linked to cancers of the liver, kidney, and bladder, as well as neurological harm.”
She also pointed out regulatory gaps. According to the letter, “Market surveillance has been weak, routine testing inadequate, public warnings delayed, and enforcement poor. These gaps have allowed an outright illegal and dangerous practice to persist without scrutiny or consequence.”
Call For Action
Chaturvedi urged the Health Ministry to respond immediately. In her letter, she recommended issuing a national health alert, conducting widespread testing of roasted chana and related foods and taking strict action against violators, including inspections, lab tests, fines, licence cancellations and imprisonment. She also suggested directions to state health departments for parallel testing and an internal audit of FSSAI protocols.
“The use of carcinogenic dyes in food is an unacceptable breach of public safety. It is incumbent upon the Ministry to urgently intervene to protect public health and restore consumer confidence in food safety mechanisms,” she concluded.
See Her Post Here
I have written to the Health Minister as well as Food Processing Minister regarding the extremely distressing evidence based report that shows that Auramine, an industrial dye used for textiles and leather, is being illegally added to roasted chana besides other food products to… pic.twitter.com/cxQgMwLJn6
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) November 24, 2025
Video Raises Concerns About Market Products
A video shared online around a month ago brought attention to the issue. In the clip, a man claimed that roasted chickpeas sold in the market are being mixed with harmful chemicals that could pose serious health risks.
View this post on Instagram
In the video, he pointed out the difference between natural chana and the allegedly adulterated ones. The market version looks bright yellow, unusually large and extremely crunchy. He also showed that when pressed between the fingers, it immediately turns into powder, which does not happen with real roasted chana.
