Only plain cotton candy can be sold, no colouring agents in gobi manchurian: Health minister

BENGALURU: The state government on Monday announced that the use of chemical dye Rhodamine-B is banned in the preparation of cotton candy and only colourless cotton candy will be allowed. The use of artificial colours like tartrazine and sunset yellow in preparation of food items like gobi manchurian and kababs will also be banned.

Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao noted that those violating the norms can be fined up to Rs 10 lakh or face anywhere between seven years to life imprisonment.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha on Monday.

“Plain cotton candy can be prepared, but not coloured. Likewise, no artificial colours will be allowed in foods which are prepared. Colouring agents like tartrazine, carmoisine and sunset yellow can only be used in packaged foods in the prescribed quantities. There’s no plan to ban gobi manchurian, but those using artificial colours can face a minimum of seven years in jail or Rs 10 lakh in fine”, he noted.

The minister said 171 samples of gobi manchurian were collected of which 107 samples had unsafe artificial colours. Similarly, 25 samples of cotton candy were collected of which 15 were found to be unsafe.

The minister also said 504 food samples were collected from 652 hostels of the SC-STs, OBCs, backward classes and medical college hostels over the last three months of which nine were found to be unsafe and three of very poor quality. Similarly, 232 samples were collected after checking 613 anganwadis of which three were found to be unsafe and two were of very poor quality.

Dinesh Gundu Rao also said 56 samples of milk were tested and all were found to be safe. Across the state, 235 water bottling plants were checked and 25 samples were checked of which two were fond to be unsafe. Over the last three months, 20 criminal cases have been registered in courts over poor food safety standards, he said. Thirty four cases were also registered in additional district deputy commissioner’s courts of which 24 have been resolved and Rs 4,77,000 collected in penalties. Officials inspected 538 food processing units and collected penalties of Rs 6,71,300 in 184 cases, he added.