Q. What do you mean by Permissible level ?

To regulate and enforce safety about the use of these synthetic colours and dyes PFA, 1954 has covered their use in part IV comprising of rules 23 to 31. Until 1968, 13 colours were allowed under the purview of the PFA Act. Subsequently, 5 colours were withdrawn due to their toxic properties and 3 new colours were added in 1973 to make a list of 11 colours. At present, 8 colours are allowed mainly Carmoisine, Ponceau 4R, Erythrosine, Sunset yellow, Tartrazine, Brilliant blue, Indigo Carmine and Fast green.

The maximum permissible level of 200 ppm of food colour laid down in Rule 29 of the PFA Act has been recently amended in 1995 to a level of 100 ppm in all the foods except for jams, jellies and canned foods in which the permissible level still remains 200 ppm.