A recent inspection by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has shown that nearly 22% of pani puri samples collected from across the state did not meet safety standards. This comes a few days after food safety officials banned artificial colouring in kebabs, gobi manchurian and cotton candy. Recently, they inspected the pani puri stalls and even some well-known eateries. The samples were collected from 79 places in Karnataka. Out of these, 41 were found to be unsafe because they contained artificial colours and even cancer-causing agents, as per a Deccan Herald report.
Another 18 were considered to be of poor quality and unsafe for consumption. Chemicals like Brilliant Blue, Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine were found in the samples collected by the department officials.
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Speaking to the daily, Srinivas K, Commissioner of Food Safety, said that the decision to test the quality of pani puri was made after the authority received many complaints.
Srinivas added that since pani puri is a popular chaat item, they received many complaints about its quality. Samples were collected from all types of outlets, from roadside eateries to well-known restaurants, across Karnataka. The test results showed that a significant number of samples were unfit for consumption.
The Commissioner of Food Safety added that officers are currently analysing the results to better understand the impact of these chemicals. He also assured that FSSAI will enforce safety standards on smaller eateries and take action against the offenders.
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“From a simple stomach upset to cardiac diseases, these artificial colours could cause a number of health issues. A few may also cause autoimmune diseases or even renal damage. It is very important that we stop their use since they have no other value, but to make food visually attractive,” Dr Vishal Rao, Dean-Centre for Academic Research, HCG Cancer Centre, was quoted as saying.
Earlier, FSSAI conducted inspections at over 200 bus stands in Karnataka, targeting more than 700 shops. The shops were selling expired products or operating without FSSAI licencing. A senior FSSAI official told The New Indian Express that during the inspection, they found an outlet at Malur bus stand in Kolar district selling only expired items, including chips, soft drinks, juices, snacks and biscuits. FSSAI has temporarily shut the shop.
