Ref. 29692-44CURRY lovers in Swindon can tuck into their chicken tikka masalas without worrying about dangerous food colouring.

Environmental health chiefs say random tests carried out at curry houses in the town did not find excessive levels of additives in the popular dish.

Concern was sparked across the country recently when a survey carried out in Surrey found potentially dangerous levels of colourings in 58 out of 102 samples.

The additives tartrazine, sunset yellow and ponceau are often used to give the dish its characteristic fiery red glow.

Although legal, the chemicals have maximum permitted levels, and have been banned in some countries because of links with hyperactivity in children, migraines and allergies.

But Clive Browning, a senior environmental health officer at Swindon Council, was quick to allay fears in the town.

Last year, 10 Swindon restaurants were sampled.

Of these, eight were found to be satisfactory, while the other two samples did not have excessive levels of the chemicals.

Mr Browning said: "Levels of colourants in the failed samples were not excessive, and gave no cause for alarm. Considerable quantities have to be consumed to cause alarm. In Surrey, some samples were 400 per cent above the legal limit."

Restaurateurs have complained that customers demand the luminescent colour that can be obtained only by additives.

But Mr Browning said: "Diners often relate the colour of the food to its taste and spiciness, preferring a bright red colour. This is a mistake, as the colour of your curry bears no relation to its taste."

Food experts say colours can be obtained using natural ingredients such as paprika, tomato puree and beetroot.

Shirley Solanki, who teaches authentic Indian cookery at Swindon College, said: "Frankly I do not like the use of dyes.

"But we can't just blame the restaurants alone, there is a demand for it from the consumer.

"When a chicken tikka masala is served in restaurants it comes out looking creamy and red. But when I make it, it is a brown colour."

Rokib Ali, 30, manager of the Biplob Tandoori Restaurant in Wood Street, Old Town, uses harmless water-based colourings.

He said: "We stopped using these chemical additives about four years ago. But customers complained that their dishes were creamy orange instead of bright red.

Bhavani Vadde