The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority has urged consumers to check the authenticity of ‘moog dal’ before buying as a cheaper lentil known as moth dal is being dyed with artificial colour and sold as moog dal in markets.
Many traders are mixing the unauthorised yellow food dye tartrazine with moth dal to make it resemble moog dal and deceive buyers, the BFSA said in a press release on Thursday.
Tartrazine is not approved for use in lentils and may pose serious health risks if consumed, it added.
The BFSA also said that the volume of moth dal imported in the country in the past fiscal year was double that of moog dal.
No products labelled as moth dal, however, are available in the market.
Laboratory tests by the authority found that more than half of the samples sold as moog dal contained artificial colour.
Unauthorised use of food colour, import, processing, storage, supply or sale of such adulterated food is a punishable offense under Section 27 of the Safe Food Act, 2013, added the press release.
BFSA instructed all food business operators to immediately stop importing, processing, storing or marketing lentils with added colour.
It also advised consumers to remain cautious and confirm the purity of moog dal before purchasing to avoid health risks.