Synthetic Colours in Diwali Sweets: Permitted vs Banned Dyes, and What Maharashtra FDA’s Tukaram Mundhe Drive Means for You
Bright jalebi, orange laddoo, pink barfi: some colour is allowed, some is not. Here is the difference, and what the Maharashtra FDA Diwali drive means for what you buy.
7 November 2026 · Updated 8 November 2026 · 4 min read
A tray of jalebi, orange laddoo, pink barfi or green pista sweets looks like a festival. But the brighter the colour, the more it is worth asking: what is it coloured with? In India, some synthetic food colours are allowed within limits, some industrial dyes are not allowed in food at all, and the two look the same on a sweet.
This guide explains which is which, how to spot warning signs, and what the Diwali food-safety drives in the news, including Maharashtra FDA’s under Tukaram Mundhe, mean for what you buy. It sits alongside what the FSSAI festive crackdown means and silver vark on mithai.
Why Maharashtra’s FDA is in the news this Diwali
Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration is led by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe (also spelt Munde in some reports), an IAS officer known for strict enforcement. Reports describe a statewide food-safety push, including checks on milk and milk products, restaurants and quick-commerce kitchens, and a pre-Diwali drive in which he urged consumers to check sweets, milk products and festive foods before buying. One report puts the value of adulterated food seized in the drive at ₹64.45 crore.
We are summarising news reports here, not making claims about any shop or product, and Root to Bite has no connection with any official or department. Figures come from the reports and may be revised. What matters for you is the lesson that runs through every such drive: enforcement happens after the fact, and the label and the licence are what you can check yourself.
Which synthetic colours are allowed?
FSSAI permits a short list of synthetic food colours, in specified food categories and within limits. Reports list eight: Ponceau 4R, Carmoisine, Erythrosine, Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow FCF, Indigo Carmine, Brilliant Blue FCF and Fast Green FCF. A packaged food that uses them should say so on the label, for example “contains permitted synthetic food colour”.
| INS number | Colour name | Typical shade |
|---|---|---|
| INS 102 | Tartrazine | Lemon yellow |
| INS 110 | Sunset Yellow FCF | Orange-yellow |
| INS 122 | Carmoisine | Red |
| INS 124 | Ponceau 4R | Red |
| INS 127 | Erythrosine | Pink-red |
| INS 132 | Indigo Carmine | Blue |
| INS 133 | Brilliant Blue FCF | Blue |
| INS 143 | Fast Green FCF | Green |
“Permitted” is not the same as “unlimited”. Reports say the general ceiling is around 100 mg per kg of the final food, and FSSAI has said that maximum levels are limits, not targets. Even permitted colours should be used sparingly. The INS numbers are explained in what the numbers in an ingredient list mean.
Which dyes are not allowed in food?
Some industrial dyes are meant for textiles, leather or paper, not food. Reports on festival-season checks most often name Metanil Yellow, Rhodamine B, Auramine and Sudan dyes. These are not permitted in food, and they are exactly what inspectors look for in bright yellow, orange and pink sweets, snacks and chutneys.
How to spot risky colour
There is no reliable home test. A lab test is the only way to know what a colour is. But a few warning signs are worth acting on:
- Very bright, uniform, almost fluorescent colour, especially deep yellow, orange or pink, on a sweet that is normally pale (such as khoya or milk sweets).
- No colour declaration on a packaged sweet that is clearly coloured. The label should say if colour has been added.
- A shop that cannot or will not say what it uses. It is fair to ask.
- No FSSAI licence or registration number on display or on the pack. See how to check an FSSAI licence number.
How to buy safer
- Choose sweets whose colour looks natural for what they are, such as the creamy tone of khoya or the pale saffron of a saffron sweet, over neon shades.
- Buy from identifiable, licensed sellers, and look for the FSSAI number.
- For packaged sweets, read the label: the ingredient list should show any added colours, and the colour declaration should be there. See how to read a food label.
- Check the dates and ask when loose sweets were made. See best before, use by and expiry, explained.
- Do not eat a sweet that tastes or smells wrong, or makes you feel unwell. Keep the pack and the receipt and report it to your local food safety officer.
What this guide cannot tell you
- Whether the colour on a particular sweet is permitted. Only a laboratory can say.
- Which shops or brands are doing the right thing. We name none.
- Whether a drive’s numbers are final. They come from news reports and can change.
At Root to Bite we try to separate what a seller says, what has been checked, and what is still unknown. For colour on sweets, a lot is unknown from the outside, and asking questions is the most practical step.
Rules, limits and news figures change. For current official rules, see FSSAI’s pages below. General information only, not medical or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Which synthetic colours are permitted in sweets in India?
FSSAI permits a short list of synthetic food colours within limits and in specified foods. Reports list eight: Ponceau 4R, Carmoisine, Erythrosine, Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow FCF, Indigo Carmine, Brilliant Blue FCF and Fast Green FCF. Packaged foods using them should declare added colour on the label.
Is metanil yellow allowed in food?
No. Metanil Yellow is an industrial dye that is not permitted in food, along with Rhodamine B, Auramine and Sudan dyes. Festival-season checks look for these in bright yellow, orange and pink sweets.
How can I check if sweets have artificial colour?
There is no reliable home test, and only a laboratory can say what a colour is. Warning signs include very bright, uniform, almost fluorescent colour on a sweet that is normally pale, no colour declaration on a coloured packaged sweet, and a shop that cannot say what it uses.
What is the Maharashtra FDA doing about adulterated sweets this Diwali?
Reports say Maharashtra’s FDA, led by Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, has run a statewide food-safety push including a pre-Diwali drive, urging consumers to check sweets and milk products, with one report putting seizures at ₹64.45 crore. These are news figures and may change.
Who is Tukaram Mundhe?
Tukaram Mundhe, also spelt Munde, is an IAS officer who, according to news reports, is the Commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration. Root to Bite has no connection with him or the department.
Are all synthetic food colours unsafe?
Permitted colours are allowed within set limits in specified foods, but FSSAI has said that maximum levels are limits, not targets, and that indiscriminate use of even permitted colours is not safe. Non-permitted industrial dyes are not allowed in food at all.
Sources
- The Better India: How IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe led Maharashtra’s statewide fake milk crackdown
- Indian Masterminds: Tukaram Mundhe urges consumers to check sweets before Diwali
- Business Standard: Who is Tukaram Mundhe?
- PMC: Status of food colorants in India
- FSSAI: The colour of food must not blind us to its effects
General information only, not medical or legal advice. News figures are as reported. Root to Bite has no connection with any official, department or sweet shop named or implied. The graphic is an illustration.
- 8 November 2026: Update: local food-safety teams, for example in Chandigarh, have reiterated that non-permitted colours in sweets are strictly prohibited. See FSSAI’s Diwali crackdown, explained.
