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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Yellow Food Dye
Why in the News?
Recent research reveals that FD&C Yellow 5, a common food dye, can temporarily make tissue transparent, with potential implications for cancer treatment and medical procedures.
About Yellow Food Dye
- FD&C Yellow 5, also known as Tartrazine, is a widely used synthetic food dye found in various snacks, drinks, and processed foods.
- Approved by the FDA, it is commonly used to give products a vibrant yellow color.
How does it work?
- The dye has the ability to make tissue transparent is based on its interaction with light, specifically through the Kramers-Kronig relations, a principle in physics.
- It absorbs blue light, leaving only the red-orange spectrum visible.
- This alters the refractive index of water, causing it to match the refractive index of fats and proteins in tissue.
- When the refractive indices match, light can pass through tissue with less scattering, creating the appearance of transparency.
Potential Medical Applications of Yellow Food Dye
- Cancer Treatment: By making tissues transparent, FD&C Yellow 5 could enhance photodynamic and photothermal therapies, allowing laser light to reach deeper tissues and target cancerous cells more effectively.
- Vein Visibility: Transparent tissues could help make veins more visible, aiding in procedures like venepuncture for blood draws or injections, particularly in patients with hard-to-see veins.
- Non-invasive Diagnostics: The dye could allow doctors to visualize internal organs and structures without the need for invasive procedures like biopsies or expensive imaging technologies like CT scans or MRIs.
PYQ:[2018] Consider the following statements: 1. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. 2. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
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