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As a way to urge citizens to avoid consuming food items that contain food colouring, the state government of Karnataka issued a ban on the use of these chemical dyes in gobi manchurian and cotton candy. Since these delicacies are known for their particularly bright orange and pink hues, attracting more customers, the resultant ban is meant to dissuade the usage of colours that contain agents like Rodamine B – a chemical compound said to have harmful and unsafe effects.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao also shared in the order that eateries that would continue to use these chemicals in their food shall face serious consequences like seven years in prison and a fine of 10 lakhs. What brought about this ban was the test that was conducted shortly before it was issued – where 107 out of 171 collected samples of the gobi manchurian contained traces of dangerous chemicals like Rodamine-B, Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine and Carmoisine.
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Similarly, from a total of 25 cotton candy samples that were collected, 15 were found to contain compounds that could damage public health. In addition to the ban, the minister has also promised to conduct food safety drives across the state to check for the presence of any unwanted additions in other food items. Not only will the quality of food be prioritised, but the hygiene conditions in restaurants would also be taken into account. When compared to the blanket bans on gobi manchurian and cotton candy in Goa and Puducherry respectively, the ban in Karnataka focusses on eliminating the use of these compounds for food products, continuing to be available to those who enjoy them – as per the statement issued by Gundurao.
