Why in news?

Recently, it has been found contaminating food items such as roasted chana (chickpeas) in India, raising major public health concerns and calls for stricter enforcement of food safety regulations.
 
About

• Auramine O is a synthetic diarylmethane dye primarily used as a fluorescent stain in microbiology for detecting acid-fast bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and in industrial applications such as textile dyeing, leather processing, paper manufacturing, and histology.​

 
Reasons for Illegal Use

• Vendors mix this cheap, intense yellow dye as an adulterant to enhance the bright yellow color and visual appeal of items like roasted chickpeas (chana), turmeric powder, sweets, spices, and curry powder.​

• Its low cost and easy availability in informal markets drive misuse despite bans under India's Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.​

 Hazards

• Auramine O poses significant health risks, including acute toxicity if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through skin, causing irritation, burns, nausea, and eye damage.
• Chronic exposure links to liver/kidney damage, spleen enlargement, mutagenic effects, neurological issues, and carcinogenicity.
• The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified it as possibly carcinogenic to humans.​

 
Auramine O is banned for use in food under India's Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, enforced by the FSSAI, due to its toxicity and potential carcinogenicity, though permitted for industrial applications like textiles and microscopy.​

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