The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified technical-grade Auramine O as Group 2B—possibly causing cancer in humans.
Published Nov 30, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 30, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Synopsis: A viral video exposing vendors using banned carcinogenic dye Auramine O to brighten roasted chickpeas prompted Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi to demand nationwide testing and strict action from the Union Health Minister. The WHO-linked cancer-causing industrial chemical, prohibited in food since 2006, is cheaply used by sellers despite known risks of liver, kidney, bladder cancer and neurological damage.
Last week, a Rajya Sabha MP wrote to the Union Health Minister after a viral video showed vendors mixing Auramine O – a banned industrial dye used in leather tanning and textile manufacturing – into roasted chickpeas to make them appear brighter and fresher.
The letter from Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi demands nationwide testing and stricter enforcement after the substance, classified by the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency as potentially carcinogenic, turned up in one of India’s most common snacks.
The Instagram reel that triggered the complaint showed a presenter rubbing roasted chana (chickpeas) between his fingers. Yellow powder came off, exposing the duller grain underneath. Within days, the clip reached millions of viewers, many of whom recognised the unnaturally bright chana they’d purchased from street vendors and grocery stores.
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Chaturvedi described the finding as “extremely distressing” in her letter dated 24 November 2025. She wrote that the practice represents “not merely a violation of food safety norms – it is a threat to the health, safety, and trust of millions of Indians, and a failure of regulatory oversight by the FSSAI.”
Auramine O exists as yellow crystals or powder that workers in textile mills spray onto fabrics, leather goods, and paper products. Chemists synthesised it in the late 19th century as part of a family of dyes that bind strongly to materials and resist fading.
The chemical costs very little, a small quantity treats hundreds of kilograms of chickpeas. Vendors discovered it transforms dull brown roasted chana into products that glow under market lights, appearing fresh even after weeks in storage.
Food sellers purchase the dye from wholesale chemical suppliers, sometimes pre-mixed with other additives. Many don’t know its industrial origins or health risks.
The Food Safety and Standards Act banned Auramine O from food in 2006 because studies showed it harms living cells when consumed or absorbed through skin.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified technical-grade Auramine O as Group 2B—possibly causing cancer in humans. They elevated the classification for workers who manufactured the dye to Group 1, meaning sufficient evidence links production exposure to bladder cancer.
Studies in the UK and Germany tracked chemical plant workers over decades. Those who synthesised Auramine-O showed higher rates of bladder tumours compared to the general population.
Laboratory experiments provided clearer evidence: researchers fed the dye to mice and rats over extended periods, and the animals developed liver tumours. Tests revealed the substance fragments DNA in the liver, kidneys, lungs, and bone marrow.
A 2025 study used zebrafish to examine brain effects. Fish exposed to Auramine O showed impaired memory, increased anxiety behaviours, and altered neural transmission. The researchers detected the chemical accumulating in brain tissue, demonstrating it crosses biological barriers and persists in organs.
The IARC classified the dye as linked to “cancers of the liver, kidney, and bladder, along with possible neurological damage,” according to Chaturvedi’s letter.
FSSAI holds responsibility for monitoring food products and enforcing bans. But markets operate through complex networks of wholesalers, distributors, and street vendors. A single batch of adulterated chana passes through five or six handlers before reaching consumers.
Testing adds difficulty. Detecting Auramine O requires specialised equipment—chromatography systems or spectrophotometers—that many district laboratories don’t have. Even when testing occurs, results take days or weeks. By that time, contaminated batches have moved through supply chains.
Chaturvedi criticised “weak market surveillance, inadequate routine testing, delayed public warnings, and inconsistent enforcement by regulators” in her letter. The MP noted that “the absence of robust compliance checks and lack of accountability has allowed a banned substance to infiltrate the food chain without scrutiny or consequence.”
Chaturvedi asked the government to immediately issue a national health alert on Auramine contamination and conduct nationwide testing of roasted chana to trace contaminated batches back to their sources.
The letter demanded “strict punitive action, from licence cancellation to imprisonment, against violators.” She called for state health departments to run parallel testing drives and for an internal audit of FSSAI’s regulatory practices to identify where safeguards failed.
“The use of carcinogenic dyes in food is an unacceptable breach of public safety,” she wrote, asking the Health Ministry to intervene to restore confidence in India’s food safety mechanisms.
I have written to the Health Minister as well as Food Processing Minister regarding the extremely distressing evidence based report that shows that Auramine, an industrial dye used for textiles and leather, is being illegally added to roasted chana besides other food products to… pic.twitter.com/cxQgMwLJn6
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) November 24, 2025
The treated chana glows with intensity that natural roasting never achieves. Rub grains between fingers, Auramine O sits on the surface rather than penetrating the chickpea. Yellow residue transfers to skin when present. Natural roasted chana leaves no colour on hands.
Compare store-bought products to home-roasted versions. Make a small batch in a dry pan over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Notice the muted brown-beige colour. Any commercial product that differs dramatically likely contains additives.
