Well-known Bengaluru food chain Empire Restaurant under scrutiny for using artificial colours in kebab

Bengaluru: A well-known restaurant chain is under the radar of the food safety department for violating the norms and using artificial colours in preparation of kebab.

According to sources, though the restaurant was issued a warning earlier, recent checks have shown that the restaurant continues to use artificial colours in its food preparations.

The violations have been observed across six major branches of the hotel chain including Shivajinagar.

“We had warned them earlier as well. But the violations have repeated and hence we will take legal action against them. Empire is a big restaurant chain and not a small one to think that they did not know the law. This is willful violation,” Dinesh Gundu Rao, Health and Family Welfare Minister, told DH.

Rao added that a case will be filed against them and action will be taken according to the law. Sources said that, if violations continue, the department could also cancel the license of the restaurant.

The outlets are said to be using Sunset Yellow, an artificial colour that is said to be harmful, especially for children.

The health department, over the last year, has been cracking down on various categories of food establishments to ensure that the outlets sell only safe and hygienic food products.

From food stalls on the roadsides to well known eateries, inspections have been going on across the sector. Use of synthetic food colour has been one of the major problems and the department had earlier banned the use of any colouring agents in gobi manchurian and cotton candy. Low quality paneer, mineral water, and many such consumables have been under the scanner lately.