Sample of Maganlal chikki had synthetic colour in excess: FDA

Pune: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials have initiated an adjudication process and slapped a fine of up to Rs5 lakh on Lonavla-based Maganlal Food Products, the manufacturer of Maganlal’s Chikki, for violating food safety norms.

After issuing the manufacturer a stop production notice for not adhering to quality standards early in December, the FDA officials have now found that the sample of chikki they had drawn from the outlet at the time of surprise inspection in December, contained synthetic edible colour in excess amount.

The officials have tested the chikki samples at designated government laboratory in Pune. Under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, any person using edible colour more than the permissible limit in food products is liable to a penalty which may extend up to Rs 5lakh.

“The sample of Maganlal’s strawberry peanut crush chikki was found to contain thrice the prescribed limit of edible synthetic colour. Hence, we have initiated the legal process against the firm,” Suresh Deshmulkh, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune told TOI.

Food safety official R R Kakade had drawn the sample during inspection of the production unit on December 12. The sample was analysed at the designated laboratory between December 14 and December 26.

Elaborating, Deshmukh said, “As per the food safety norms, the prescribed limit of the edible colour used in the chikki is 100mg/per kg, whereas the colour used in the drawn sample of chikki was 306.55mg/per kg, which is three times more. It is violation of section 51 (penalty for sub-standard food) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.”

Following the inspection in early December 2018, the FDA officials observed grave lapses in sanitation and quality measures at the Lonavala-based production unit of the Maganlal Chikki and issued stop production notice to the manufacturer till it rectified the lacunae.

“The company had stopped production for first 15 days following the notice during which they complied as per the norms after which we allowed them to resume production,” Deshmukh said.

Owner of Maganlal Food Products Ashok Agarwal said, “We have been serving customers for many years and the edible colour we used was always the best. However, food handlers’ visual observation might have prompted them to add more than the required colour in the chikki product. We have decided not to use any edible colour in our products from now on."