Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration bans loose spices over carcinogens
India
Maharashtra's FDA has banned the sale of loose spices.
This is all about keeping food safer: tests found some loose spices had harmful industrial dyes like Sudan dye and lead chromate, which can cause cancer.
The FDA wants to make sure what's in your masala isn't putting your health at risk.
Tukaram Mundhe warns license loss, prosecution
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe says anyone caught adding fake colors or weird stuff like sawdust to spices could lose their license or even face prosecution.
The FDA will be doing more inspections, and spice makers now have to follow stricter hygiene rules: no drying spices by the roadside or near drains anymore.
The goal: cleaner, safer food for everyone in Maharashtra.