Is it really red, hot chillie powder that you consume?:

Fabric dye mixed chillie powder has hit the market - CAA

by Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

Instead of using food colouring dye illicit manufacturers use strong fabric dye to manufacture chilli powder which is extremely poisonous and hazardous to human health. To get a very bright reddish mixed orange shade the manufacturers use fabric dye which in other terms the consumers would believe that the best quality chilli powder has a dark, bright, red colour. Consumers must look for the expiry date more than looking for the price, as the product will affect one's health more than the price affecting the wallet.

The Consumer Affairs Authority(CAA) Flying Squad on Tuesday seized a massive stock of red chilli powder unsuitable for human consumption. A grinding mill in Sedawatta, Wellampitiya was raided on a tip-off and 15, 000 kilograms of chilli powder worth over Rs.4 million was found. Shocking proof revealed that the chillie powder was made not with chilli but well- ground old bread crumbs mixed with poisonous red fabric dye to give the clear colour of chillie powder.

This was the latest in a series of detections carried out during the past few months since 2013 where a number of instances were reported manufacturing substandard chilli powder or spices.

In March this year the CAA raided a grinding mill in Armour Street, Colombo 12 and seized 5000 kilograms of low quality chilli powder, 3000 kilograms of turmeric and 2000 kilograms of outdated breadcrumbs unfit for human consumption. The raided products were valued at Rs.3million.

It is learnt that these substandard spices were to be distributed in the retail market in the Colombo suburbs. Further investigations into the Wellampitiya case revealed that the stock was to be sent to Hatton and Awissawella areas to be distributed in the local retail market.

Meanwhile, the large stock of chilli powder and tomato sauce sized at a grinding mill in Slave Island in November, 2013 worth over Rs.300, 000 was also prepared to be distributed in the greater Colombo area.

It is evident that manufacturing poor quality spices has increased in the recent past compared to other products perhaps due to the high demand they have in the retail market.

The very low prices they are being sold at encourages `crooked vendors to produce more and more goods regardless of the quality and laws pertaining to such offences.

The increasing number of detections by the CAA does not show any decrease in these goods coming into the market nor manufacturing them.

Explaining this situation CAA Deputy Director Investigations Asela Bandara told the Sunday Observer that the main reason behind these products to flood the market was the comparatively cheap prices they are being sold at. The other important reason is that these low quality spices are sold retail without a packet, label or a brand. Most such substandard products are sent to day fairs and street markets held in remote areas where customers are willing to buy anything cheaper.

Since there is no label or brand there is noway to find out the freshness of the product without an expiry date and no chance of complaining about the poor quality to the manufacturers. For example most of the chilli powder seized in the recent detections did not have neither essence nor was it spicy. When old breadcrumbs are mixed with various colouring dyes and added with a very little amount of actual chilli powder it would definitely not have the true flavour of chillie powder.

The CAA requests the public to be extra vigilant about these products and gives out a set of guidelines while purchasing from the retail market. Consumers are advised to buy products in a packet with a proper label and a genuine brand name. They are advised to buy goods from reliable vendors or renowned department stores or supermarkets where there is no chance of selling substandard products. Except for vegetables and fresh food products, buying spices and related products sold at a street market on retail basis without a packet and a label are thoroughly not advisable to purchase.

The public is also requested to assist the CAA with information leading to arrests of such low quality manufacturers. It could be the grinding mill two blocks away that you buy your spices and chillies from. But how certain are you about the quality of those products? It is always the responsibility of the consumer to be aware of the products they buy and they have a moral obligation to inform the authorities to enforce the law.