In a move aimed at safeguarding public health and enhancing food safety, the Karnataka government has announced a ban on the use of artificial food colours on various food items including kebabs, fish, and vegetarian dishes across the state. Prompted by mounting health concerns and a growing awareness of the hazards posed by synthetic additives, the Karnataka health department issued a notification banning the use of artificial colours on Monday. What health concerns are associated with artificial food colours and how harmful are they? Let’s take a closer look The ban The Karnataka Health Department’s order comes following various reports in the media and complaints by the public that said that the quality of kebabs being sold across the state is “poor” due to the use of artificial colouring, which is causing adverse effects on public health.
The health authorities swung into action and collected 39 samples of kebabs and sent them for testing in state laboratories. The results revealed that eight samples were contaminated with the presence of artificial colours and were termed unsafe for consumption. The colours, specifically, sunset yellow was detected in seven samples, while a combination of sunset yellow and carmoisine was found in another sample.
Sunset yellow is an orange-yellow dye commonly used in candy, sauces, baked goods, and canned fruit. Whereas, carmoisine, a red food dye gives an appearance of red to maroon shade in food items. Thereafter, the Karnataka .