A few months after Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry governments banned the sale and consumption of cotton candy, food safety officials found cancer-causing chemicals in Pani Puris sold in Karnataka. Shockingly, 22% of the pani puri samples collected failed the safety standards.
The shocking results after testing the samples have left food lovers stunned. At least 260 samples were collected by food safety officials. The officials found artificial colours and carcinogenic agents that cause cancer in at least 41 samples of the 260 collected samples.
Chemicals like brilliant blue, sunset yellow, and tartrazine were found in Pani Puri samples which can potentially cause various health issues.
Moreover, another 18 samples were even found unfit for human consumption.
“We received many complaints about the substandard quality of pani puri that is served in streets across the state. We collected samples from roadside stalls to decent restaurants from all over the state. Many samples were found in a stale state and unfit for human consumption,” Deccan Herald quoted Srinivas K, commissioner of food safety.
Earlier, the Karnataka government had banned colouring of food using Rhodamine-B, which is widely used in dishes such as gobi Manchurian and cotton candy. When contacted, Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao warned that strict action will be taken if sellers were found using the chemicals.
“Food safety in the state is our priority, and we will be inspecting more dishes to find out what colouring agents are being used in them. People should be aware of what kind of food they are consuming. The restaurant owners must also be responsible enough to maintain hygiene. Otherwise, strict action will be taken,” Rao stated.