Ready-made paprika powders need to be checked

Fungus in chilli peppers and ready-to-eat paprika powders made using dyes and colourings are harmful to the health of consumers. The relevant authorities check whether these spices are healthy or not and inform the public of what should not be consumed from time to time.
Some brands of chilli powder being sold in the market have been declared unfit for consumption, and therefore people are required to be careful in buying some kinds of spices that may be harmful to their health.
Some of the prices of chilli powder are cheaper than the wholesale prices of chilli peppers sold in the market. Most of the local consumers are using ready-made chilli powder instead of chilli pepper pods used before.
Some lucrative businesses use discoloured chilli peppers and dye them. They also add substitutes like bran to add weight to the peppers.
“Even the price for a viss of chilli powder, which is K2,000 higher than the wholesale price of chilli peppers, cannot be said to be free of additives and dyes. The price of chilli pepper pods is over K10,000 per viss this year, but some chilli powder prices are lower than the price of chilli pepper pods,’’ said a chilli pepper dealer.
The sale price of discoloured chilli peppers is cheaper than the regular chilli pepper prices in brokerage houses. Thus, consumers need to check the retail and wholesale prices of chilli peppers and the price of paprika powder in the market. — TWA/CT