Banana chips too yellow? How to check their quality before buying

Banana chips are a fixture on Kerala's Onam tables, but this year, the Food Safety Department has raised concerns about the use of unauthorised colouring agents in chips and sharkara varatti. During inspections in Idukki, officials collected samples of these popular snacks for laboratory testing and advised consumers to be cautious about chips that appear excessively yellow.

So, how can you tell if the banana chips you're buying have been artificially coloured?

While appearance alone cannot conclusively prove adulteration, there are a few things consumers can look out for.

Is the colour too yellow?

Naturally fried banana chips can range from pale yellow to golden brown, depending on the variety of plantain, how thinly they are sliced and the frying process.

Chips that have an unnaturally bright, almost uniform yellow colour may warrant caution. If the colour looks unusually intense compared with traditionally prepared chips, ask the seller whether any colouring agent has been added.

The Food Safety Department has specifically advised consumers to be cautious about excessively yellow banana chips.

Don't rely on colour alone

It is important not to assume that every bright yellow chip contains an artificial colour. The colour of banana chips can naturally vary, and some permitted natural colours may also be used in food.

Laboratory testing is needed to establish whether an unauthorised colouring agent has actually been used. Consumers should therefore treat visual signs as a reason for caution rather than a definitive test for adulteration.

Ask the seller

The simplest precaution is also one of the most useful: ask whether artificial colours have been added. If so, which product/colouring was used.

According to the Food Safety Department, some traders have said that they use colours because customers prefer brightly coloured chips. Officials have urged consumers to specifically ask for chips made without artificial colours. If enough customers demand naturally coloured products, the practice of adding unnecessary colours can be reduced.

Check the smell and texture

Colour is not the only thing to consider when buying chips.

Fresh banana chips should have the characteristic aroma of the frying oil and plantain. Avoid products with a stale, rancid or unusual smell. Chips that feel excessively greasy, stale or have an unpleasant aftertaste may also indicate poor-quality ingredients or old frying oil.

These signs do not necessarily indicate colour adulteration, but they can help consumers avoid poor-quality products.

Be careful with sharkara varatti too

The same caution applies to sharkara varatti, another Onam favourite. The Food Safety Department in Idukki has reported concerns about unauthorised colours in jaggery products as well.

The deep brown coating of sharkara varatti should come primarily from the jaggery coating rather than an unnecessarily intense artificial colour. When buying packaged products, consumers should also check the ingredient list and look for information about permitted colours.

What consumers should remember

There is no reliable home test that can confirm whether a banana chip contains an unauthorised colouring agent simply by looking at or tasting it. Laboratory analysis is required for confirmation.

The safest approach is to buy chips from reliable sellers, avoid products with an unusually intense colour, ask whether artificial colours have been used and check packaged products for proper labelling.

This Onam, choosing traditionally prepared, naturally coloured chips may be a simple way to make a better-informed food choice.