Overview
- Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote to Health Minister J. P. Nadda and the Food Processing Minister on November 24 urging immediate intervention.
- Her appeal calls for a national health alert, nationwide testing of roasted chana and related foods, and strict enforcement including inspections, lab tests, licence cancellations, fines and imprisonment.
- She also sought directions to state health departments for parallel testing and an internal audit of FSSAI protocols to identify systemic lapses.
- The push follows a viral video alleging chemically treated roasted chana, though no official laboratory confirmation or government response was reported in the coverage.
- Chaturvedi’s letter cites Auramine’s use in textiles and leather and notes IARC’s cancer risk designation and the Food Safety and Standards Act’s prohibition on its use in food.