Strict ban on artificial colours in cotton candy or gobi manchurian in K’taka; violators to face jail

In a bid to address health concerns, Karnataka has imposed a ban on the use of artificial food colours, including Rhodamine-B, in popular items like cotton candy and gobi manchurian. Dinesh Gundu Rao, Karnataka’s Health Minister announced the ban, citing poor quality and adverse health effects associated with the use of artificial food colours in these items across the state.

The ban comes as a response to findings that several samples from different parts of Karnataka contained cancer-causing chemicals like Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow, and Carmosine.

ಗೋಬಿ ಮಂಚೂರಿ ಹಾಗು ಕಾಟನ್ ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಳಪೆ ಗುಣಮಟ್ಟ ಹಾಗು ಕೃತಕ ಬಣ್ಣಗಳ ಬಳಕೆಯಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಿದ್ದು ಕಂಡು ಬಂದಿದ್ದು ಈ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ರೋಡಮೈನ್-ಬಿ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಕೃತಕ ಬಣ್ಣಗಳ ಬಳಕೆಯನ್ನು ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಿ ಆದೇಶ ಹೊರಡಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

ಇನ್ನುಮುಂದೆ ನಿಷೇಧಿತ ಈ ಕೃತಕ ಬಣ್ಣಗಳ ಬಳಕೆ ಮಾಡುವವರಿಗೆ 7 ವರ್ಷಗಳವರೆಗೆ ಜೈಲು ಹಾಗು 10 ಲಕ್ಷದವರೆಗೆ ದಂಡ… pic.twitter.com/3bX9d2mDNB

— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) March 11, 2024

The ban specifically targets the preparation and sale of artificially coloured food items, ruling out a blanket prohibition on cotton candy and gobi manchurian. The health department’s crackdown follows test results revealing the presence of harmful chemicals in a significant number of samples. Out of 171 gobi samples, 107 tested positive for carcinogenic chemicals, and out of 25 cotton candy samples, 15 tested positive for artificial and cancer-causing substances.

Violating the ban could lead to severe consequences, including imprisonment for up to seven years, a life term, a penalty of ₹10 lakh, and the cancellation of trade licenses for food vendors, eateries, and hotels/restaurants. However, vendors are allowed to sell cotton candies without food colours. The move aligns Karnataka with other states like Tamil Nadu and Goa, which have also imposed restrictions on the sale of gobi manchurian and cotton candy due to health concerns related to artificial food colours.