Hyderabad: Samples of sauces being used by city restaurants and food outlets, that were collected by food safety inspectors, have revealed that most eateries are using adulterated chilli or tomato sauce.
An official from the TS food laboratory said: “A majority of the samples show a high quantity of starch. The sauce contained colour, water, sugar, and rotten tomatoes. Preservatives are permitted but many tend to add more preservatives.”
The rotten tomatoes added to the sauce act are the main culprits in adulteration.
Md Kasim, owner of a fast food joint, a litre of sauce costs Rs 45 to Rs 50. “The sauce we get from the local market costs us Rs 70 to Rs 80 for five litres. Most of the food outlets prefer the cheaper, locally-made sauces,” he said.
Mr B. Sandaiah, from the food safety department, said most cases of adulteration were registered in the rural districts. “The issue of adulteration may not be only with local sauces. Sometime, even the branded sauce sachets may have expired and that’s something that needs to be checked,” he said.
