100 pani puri stalls in Chennai inspected, samples taken to check for cancer-causing elements
As many as 100 shops selling the popular roadside snack have been inspected as of Wednesday. Samples collected will be checked for the presence of carcinogenic elements, officials said.
Tamil Nadu food safety department inspected and collected samples from 100 pani puri stalls in Chennai
CHENNAI: Following reports of cancer-causing ingredients found in samples of pani puri in Karnataka, the Tamil Nadu food safety department has initiated biological and chemical analysis of samples from stalls selling the snacks across Chennai.
As many as 100 shops selling the popular roadside snack have been inspected as of Wednesday. Samples collected will be checked for the presence of carcinogenic elements, officials said.
"We will be conducting biological and chemical analyses of the collected samples to understand if there are any harmful ingredients in the samples. Based on the report, we will be taking action in this regard," said Dr P Satheesh Kumar, designated food safety officer.
A total of 22 percent of the total samples collected in Karnataka recently failed quality standards and were found to be dangerous for consumption. The safety checks in the southern state follow the bans on artificial colouring in cotton candy, gobi manchurian, and kebabs.
Experts say that it is not just the content of the food that is harmful. The unhygienic environment in which roadside food items such as pani puri are being sold poses risks, too.
"The masalas being used in pani puri can contain harmful agents and we have found that some of the stalls even use colours in the water being served along with the puri. The public should be cautious when eating snacks from such roadside stalls. We always immediately instruct food vendors to remove their carts from places that are not safe or hygienic," said a food safety official from Thiruvallur.