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.