The Karnataka government has ordered a crackdown on colorful Gobi Manchurian and cotton candy because they contain chemicals that are harmful. Offenders risk jail time and fines. The Food Safety Wing will carry out awareness campaigns, sample programs, and synthetic chemical inspections.
BENGALURU: After discovering carcinogenic substances in colored cotton candy and artificially colored gobi manchurian, the Karnataka government on Monday ordered a crackdown on the manufacturing and sale of these food products. Dinesh Gundurao, the health minister, disregarded the idea of outright prohibiting the sale of these goods.
Following the recent bans on the sale of cotton candy and gobi manchurian by the governments of Goa and Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka health department’s food safety officials collected over 200 samples from Bengaluru and other regions of the state and tested them for chemicals known to cause cancer.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao Rao provided specifics of the test findings, saying, “As many as 107 samples out of the 171 gobi samples tested positive for carcinogenic chemicals like tartrazine, Sunset Yellow, and carmosine color.” Comparably, of the 25 cotton candy samples, around 15 samples had positive tests for compounds known to cause cancer, such as tartrazine and rhodamine-B.
The minister went on to say that the government has authorized a crackdown because of the test investigations and proof of the usage of artificial colors. The minister clarified, “Any violation of this order by food vendors, eateries, and hotels/restaurants will attract punishment, including cancellation of the trade licenses and imprisonment for 7 years to a life term and a penalty of ₹10 lakh.”
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The minister ruled out imposing any ban on the sale of these food items. “Gobi is a nutritious vegetable and people should eat it. We are only acting against those who resort to using artificial and synthetic chemicals. Similarly, non-colored candy (white) has also been permitted for sale.”
When asked how the department would ensure non-usage of such chemicals as people may not be knowing, the minister said, “The food safety wing of the health department will take up statewide awareness and campaigns to drive home the message against the usage of these chemicals. We will deploy more personnel for sampling and regular checks of stalls and eateries. Furthermore, after the random sampling, the department will also start legal sampling of these eatables for documentation.
