Karnataka Bans Food Colouring Agents in Gobi Manchurian and Cotton Candies

He claimed that the artificial colouring was the reason for the low quality of these food items throughout the southern state, which in turn was hurting people's health.

Digital Desk: Karnataka bans food colouring agents in cotton candies and gobi manchurian due to health concerns. The order to ban the food colouring agent came from Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday. It bans the use of the food colouring agent Rhodamine-B in cotton candy and gobi manchurian.

"If anyone is found using Rhodamine-B food colouring agent, then severe action will be taken against them under the Food Safety Act," he said, as quoted by IndiaToday.

He claimed that the artificial colouring was the reason for the low quality of these food items throughout the southern state, which in turn was hurting people's health.

"Of the 171 samples of gobi manchurian collected, 64 were found to be safe, while as many as 106 were found to be unsafe. Meanwhile, a total of 25 cotton candy samples were collected, of which 10 were found to be safe and 15 unsafe,” India Today mentions.

"Samples were collected from hotels and roadside shops, among others. Many have turned out to be unsafe. Using rhodamine as a colouring agent is banned. Eateries use this colouring agent to make food items look more red," Dinesh Gundu Rao said, as quoted by India Today.

A month after Goa's move, Karnataka made its own. The Mapusa Municipal Council, one of several Goan civic organisations to take such action against one of the most well-liked foods in India, outlawed Gobi manchurian last month.

In the meantime, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry banned cotton candy last month due to the presence of the carcinogen rhodamine-B in the samples that were provided for analysis.