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Himachal Pradesh has instituted a one-year ban on the production, sale and storage of cotton candy or candy floss after the presence of potentially hazardous colouring agents was confirmed in samples. The ban is on the heels of states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa, which have implemented similar restrictions on harmful colouring agents.
Samples of cotton candy were collected in Solan city, Himachal Pradesh on February 20, 2024. These were then tested at Composite Testing Laboratory, Kandaghat, where the presence of a chemical named rhodamine-B was confirmed.
Rhodamine B is a colouring agent commonly used in textile, paper, and leather industries. The colourant is low-cost and is sometimes used to give vibrant hues to popular street food items such as gobi manchurian and cotton candy.
However, it is not safe for consumption and is banned in food items due to potential health risks under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Atul Kaistha, food safety officer, Municipal Corporation Solan, who collected the samples, stated samples were taken from different places in the city and sent to Kandaghat Lab. “The government banned the sale of cotton candy after the samples failed the test,” he said.
Although the use of other artificial colours in food items is allowed, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has guidelines regarding their usage. FSSAI has specifically banned rhodamine B from being used in food products. Any use of this chemical in the preparation, processing, and distribution of food is punishable under the food safety act.
Commissioner (Food Safety) and Secretary Health to the government of Himachal Pradesh, M Sudha Devi, issued a notification imposing a complete ban on the production, sale, and storage of cotton candy for the next year after the samples failed the tests.
The notification bans the storage, distribution, or sale of ‘cotton candy’ (by any name), whether packaged or loose, in the state under Section 30(2)(a) of the food safety act. The health secretary warned that anyone found conducting cotton candy business in the state would face legal action as per the rules.
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