VietNamNet Bridge – The head of the city's Institute of Hygiene and Public Health has urged the city Health Department and other authorities to inspect small food production facilities and markets for the sale and use of food colours.

Dr Huynh Van Tu, head of the city Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, told Viet Nam News yesterday that many markets were selling a large number of food colours, especially ones without a label of origin and not on the Health Ministry's list of legal food colours.

A city Market Management Division's report showed that dozens of shops were illegally selling food colours that can cause food poisoning.

The Viet Nam Food Administration's report showed that more than 128 food poisoning cases nationwide occurred last year, and illegal food colours was one of the causes.

Recently, the division found 1,000 kilos of food colours without origin for sale on District 5's Kim Bien Street and 1,740 kilos of food colours without a brandname on District 11's Lo Sieu Street.

Huynh Le Thai Hoa, head of the city Health Department's inspectorate, told Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that many small food production facilities were using dye Rhodamine B.

The dye is used in food processing, especially for colouring melon seeds.

The chemical created a beautiful colour and caused carcinogenic if used for a long time, Hoa said, adding that it was used to cut the costs of production.

Tu warned that consumers should be cautious about buying colourful food and items sold by vendors because food colours without origin were often used to process the food.

The food colours were sold at cheap prices, he added.

Tu said many people were unaware of the danger of these food colouring agents and that more information needed to be disseminated about their use.

The Ministry of Health's list of food colours should also be publicised widely, as well as information on food colours from a respected source such as the US Food and Drug Administration.

Food colours used in large dosages for a long period could cause cancer, gene mutation and harm to the nervous system, Tu said.

If consumers wanted to use food colours in food processing, they should choose ones with clear origin and ones on the ministry's list, he advised.

Dr. Phan The Dong, head of the city Nong Lam University's Food Technology Faculty, said that using food colours in food processing for family meals was not necessary.

Home cooks should minimise the use of food colours by using available materials like crocus and strawberry to create colours, Dong suggested.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News