Why Karnataka has banned food coloring used in gobi manchurian and cotton candy
- March 18, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Why Karnataka has banned food coloring used in gobi manchurian and cotton candy
Subject: Science and tech
Section: Health
Context:
- The Karnataka Government has banned the use of harmful coloring agents in cotton candy and “Gobi Manchurian.
More on news:
- Telangana Food Safety officials detect cotton candy laced with carcinogen at Medaram Jatara
- On February 17, Tamil Nadu banned the sale of cotton candy or candy floss after analysis confirmed the presence of Rhodamine-B, an industrial dye, in samples lifted from stalls in Chennai.
About Rhodamine-B:
- Rhodamine-B is a textile dye, and its use in food has a huge impact on health.
- Rhodamine-B is a fluorescent dye used in cosmetics, textile and leather industries. It gives you brilliant pinks, greens and blues.
- It is used as a food coloring agent not only in cotton candy but also in the preparation of sweets, various manchurian items and pakoras and in the preparation of sauces for Chinese food.
- It is a chemical color used in dyeing clothes, paper, leather, printing, and plastics.
- It is used to give red and pink colors.
- Long-term consumption can cause allergies that can manifest in the form of irritation of the lip, tongue as well as eyes and also cause upper respiratory allergies.
- Studies have shown that Rhodamine-B can cause cell death.
- In long-term use, it can damage the cerebellum tissue and brainstem.
- There is recent evidence that it damages the kidney, liver and increases the risk of stomach tumor.
- It is not a food color but is toxic to the human body and is a carcinogen.
- The International Agency for Research on Cancer — the World Health Organisation body that maintains a list of cancer causing agents — says it cannot be classified as carcinogenic to humans, there are some studies on rats that have shown carcinogenic effects.
FSSAI approved food colors:
- The natural food colors whose use is allowed includes carotene and carotenoids (yellow, orange), chlorophyll (green), riboflavin (yellow), caramel, Annatto (orange-red, derived from the seed of an American tree), saffron, and circumin (yellow, from turmeric).
- The synthetic colors allowed include red from Ponceau 4R, Carmoisine, and Erythrosine; yellow from Tartrazine and Sunset Yellow FCF, blue from Indigo Carmine and Brilliant Blue FCF, and green from: Fast Green FCF.