Karnataka bans food coloring. What could be the reason?

Recently, the Karnataka government has banned the practice of making use of dangerous food coloring agents in food items like cotton candy and gobhi Manchurian. In case anyone does that in the state after the regulation, one will attract the punishment of imprisonment of up to 7 long years along with a fine of up to Rs 10 lakhs, as per Dinesh Gundu Rao, the health minister of Karnataka.

The use of such artificial coloring was actually found in a total of 15 out of 25 samples of cotton candies. Talking about gobhi manchurian, the use of artificial coloring was found in a total of 107 out of 171 samples of gobhi manchurian in the state as stated by the state government. The health minister of the state was of the view that taking snacks having such artificial colors may actually lead to prolonged health risks, such as cancer. The health minister of the state further added that on the basis of these findings, the state government has issued an order that bans the use of prohibited artificial colors, along with Rhodamine B, in cotton candies and Gobhi Manchurian.

Rhodamine B- a food coloring agent

As per the state minister, the state of Karnataka is stopping the use of several coloring agents and the list includes the name of Rhodamine B as well it is important to note that Rhodamine B is actually not one of the food coloring agents that are permitted as per the food safety regulation of the country. Rhodamine B is actually a chemical color that is made to be used in dyeing leather, plastics, fabric, paper, and more. The color provides a pink and red hue to the object it is made to use.

Talking about ingesting the chemical, it is entirely unfit for consumption. Consuming Rhodamine B can lead to acute toxicity. Moreover, not only is it harmful to consume, but exposure to Rhodamine B can lead to respiratory tract irritation. It can also damage the eye. Can it cause cancer too? Well, it cannot be said firmly, as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a body of the World Health Organization does not say that Rhodamine B can be termed as a carcinogenic chemical to humans. However, one cannot deny the fact that there have been a few studies conducted on rats that demonstrate that Rhodamine B is carcinogenic in nature.

ALSO READ: What is Dry Ice? Is It Harmful For the Health Or Not?

The use of Rhodamine B in food items

It cannot be said that Rhodamine B is used in food items quite regularly. However, many vendors illegally add Rhodamine B to the food while making food items like gobhi manchurian, butter chicken, and juices, in order to give these food items and reddish tint, making them appear more tempting. Rhodamine B is usually made to be used in Holi colors.

Are food colors allowed in food items as per the law?

Yes, certain food items are allowed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the chief food safety regulator of the country. These food colors are safe for ingestion, and the list comprises both natural and synthetic colors. Moreover, it is important to note that there also exist restrictions on which food colors should be used in which form of food item.

The food colors that can be used in food items include chlorophyll, caramel, carotenoids, saffron, curcumin, Annatto, riboflavin, and more. These are all natural food colors. The list of synthetic food colors includes Tartrazine, Erythrosine, Carmoisine, Ponceau 4R, Sunset Yellow FCF, Brilliant Blue FCF, Fast Green FCF, and more.

As stated before, even these food colors and more that are permitted to be used must not be used in any and all food items.

ALSO READ: Top 10 Countries Where Food Inflation is High in 2023

ALSO READ: What changes does the Karnataka Temple Bill propose? What are the disputes? Here is every detail covered