Myanmar's Health Ministry on Sunday banned the sale of 57 brands of pickled tea leaves, a popular snack food found to contain a harmful chemical dye. The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper announced the ban, saying the chemical Auramine O was detected in the products. The ministry said Auramine O is commonly used to dye cotton, wool, silk and leather and that prolonged consumption of it in food could be harmful to the liver and kidneys and cause cancer. Pickled tea leaves are widely eaten in Myanmar as a snack with condiments . A doctor from the Health Ministry's Food and Drug Administration said chemical dyes are widely used in Myanmar. The production or sale of harmful food is punishable by up to three years in prison, but enforcement is not strict, the doctor said. More here.