K'taka Health Minister bans food colouring agent Rhodamine-B used in Gobi Manchurian, cotton candy

BENGALURU: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao on Monday banned the food colouring agent, Rhodamine-B which is widely used in dishes such as 'Gobi Manchurian' and cotton candy. Addressing the rising concerns over the presence of harmful chemicals in various food items, the health minister said, "We have done a special drive on the gobi manchurian dish and found that harmful Rhodamine-B is being used to make the dish. It is a health-hazardous colouring agent."

Pointing out the risks posed by unsafe food practices, Gundurao said, "Many samples were tested positive for Rhodamine-B. Tartrazine, Carmoisine and Sunset Yellow were some of the other artificial colours found in the samples." "Stringent action will be taken against restaurants that are found to be using such chemicals for food preparation," he said.

"The food safety team will register a case if such chemicals are found in the food," Gundurao further said. "Not following the government order can lead to seven years or life imprisonment, and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh will also be slapped," Gundu Rao told reporters.

In February, the Tamil Nadu government implemented a ban on the sale of cotton candy in the state due to confirmed test reports revealing the presence of cancer-inducing chemicals.

The Karnataka government last month presented the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Bill, 2024 which increased the age limit of the sale of cigarettes from 18 years to 21 years. Earlier, the age limit for the sale of cigarettes was fixed at 18 years.