Vijayawada: Shocking details were revealed in the lab tests conducted on the seized chilli powder samples in Guntur and Krishna districts. The spurious chilli powder contains dangerous chemicals like red oxide and Rhodamin-B, ethanol, ethane and hexane which will cause cancer, respiratory and intestinal disorders.
A China firm M/s. Chenguang Bio-Tech Private Limited at Mudigonda village of Khammam district was found to be the main supplier of this spurious chilli powder. This China firm is extracting Oleoresin or chilli oil through solvent extraction using petroleum byproducts such as ethanol, ethane and hexane. This chilli oil is being used to make spurious chilli powder which looks exactly like the original one.
However the China firm is selling their product through invoice subject to the condition that it should not be used for human consumption or animal feed. But the local chilli powder-makers are mixing this powder on a large scale which is available at very cheaper price. The chilli powder-makers are bought this powder from the China firm for Rs 3 per kilogram during 2011 and Rs 23 per kg during this year.
Some of the chilli powder-makers are also mixing red oxide and Rhodamin-B which are said to be carcinogenic chemicals and are very toxic in nature. Health minister Kamineni Srinivas said that these chemicals will cause respiratory, intestinal disorders and affect the functioning of vital organs like kidney, lungs and liver.
Carcinogenic chemicals are essentially used in dyes for colouring the clothes. These are highly toxic in nature and will lead to cancer when consumed, said food safety commissioner Samuel Anand. He said out of 10 samples that the department received the results from the regional laboratory at Nampalli, Hyderabad, eight samples are containing these chemicals and two others were found to be sub-standard in nature. Officials have sent 98 samples for testing.
Mr Srinivas said that criminal cases are being booked on the spurious chilli powder-makers who used toxic chemicals and they can get up to life sentence. He said the officials have seized 10 lakh kgs of spurious chilli powder across the state.
