Auramine O

Auramine O Latest News

India continues to face recurring episodes of chemical adulteration in food, particularly through the use of non-permitted synthetic dyes and one of the most persistent among them is auramine O.

About Auramine O

• It is a synthetic yellow dye produced from compounds such as dimethylaniline and formaldehyde.
• The dye appears as yellow flakes or powder and dissolves easily when mixed with solvents.
• It is not approved for use as a food colour in India, the European Union, and the United States.
• Applications of Auramine O: It is extensively used in industry, including textile and leather processing, printing inks, paper manufacturing, and certain microbiological staining procedures.
• Impacts on Human Health: It creates health risks like liver and kidney damage, enlargement of the spleen, mutagenic effects that can alter genetic material, and potential carcinogenic outcomes.
• Global context: Regulators in the U.S., EU, and East Asian nations classify auramine as an industrial dye, and its presence in consumables triggers product recalls and import alerts.
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies auramine as a substance that is possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Source: TH

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