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G.K. Nair

Kochi , April 14

AFTER chilli, the European Commission Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health has said turmeric exported to the EU countries for human consumption should also be free of carcinogenic Sudan dye.

The EC Committee is understood to have decided to extend the emergency measures on Sudan dyes for chilli and chilli products to Curcuma (turmeric) intended for human consumption.

Consignments of these products imported into the European community were, therefore, required to be certified as free from Sudan dyes I to IV based on analysis at the point of export and endorsed by the appropriate authority, Mr S. Kannan, Director, Marketing, Spices Board, told Business Line on Thursday.

This decision, he said, would come into effect on the date of publication in the EC's official journal, which is expected, in the next 2-3 days. It was also reported that this measure would not apply to goods in transit, he said.

In view of the need for ensuring that the turmeric exported does not contain Sudan I-IV, the Spices Board had informed all the exporters of turmeric and turmeric powder of the development and asked them to comply with the requirement strictly.

It is mandatory for exporters to send samples for checking at the Board's laboratory to make sure that the consignments are free of Sudan I to IV, he said.

He said the Board's modern laboratory, which had been set up to check chilli samples, could check samples of turmeric and turmeric powder also and certificates issues in 24 hours.

In fact, the Board following receipt of the first Rapid Alert Notification on May 12, 2003 from France for the presence of "Sudan Red" in hot chilli had made mandatory sampling and analysis for Sudan 1 in chilli and chilli products irrespective of the destination of export, he said.

Besides, it had also extended the scope of analysis to cover aflatoxin. The analytical method followed by the Board was the one used by the French Authority (DGCCRF) with the level of quantification at 10 ppm (parts per million) and this method was updated to detect levels at 5 ppm and the present new equipment would quantify presence of Sudan dyes ppb (parts per billion) levels, he added.

Exports of turmeric during April 2004-February 2005 were 38,500 tonnes valued at Rs 141.74 crore against 28,750 tonnes worth Rs 107.80 crore in the same period a year ago. A good portion of the exports are to EU countries.

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