Bengaluru: Everyone fancies the blissful comfort of red velvet melting in the mouth or the crunch of a butterscotch crystal. Anyone having a sweet tooth may have their mouth watering already. However, it may not be as sweet as it looks as Karnataka Food Safety Department has shockingly found the presence of carcinogenic substances in a few varieties of cakes that were tested at random from bakeries around the city.
Twelve cakes from Bengaluru bakeries have been found laced with harmful colouring agents. These colouring agents can even cause cancer. Yes, the cakes were found to have colouring agents like Allura Red, Sunset Yellow and Tartrasine Carmoisine in excess quantities, linking it to serious health issues, including cancer.
Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that they have initiated monthly sample testing of food products and some of these are found to be having carcinogenic substances which is not good for health. "We're doing it every month. What samples are tested, what's found and what's not good. Many manufacturers are unknowingly using these substances. This is done so that they become more aware of the law," the minister said.
"Secondly, consumers should also be made aware. This should be done so that they are also aware of what's being used. These preservatives, colouring agents and substances shouldn't be used in certain things. We're maintaining the existing law. There are natural colouring agents that can be used and synthetic ones that are unsafe, so they’re banned. For example, we've banned pink colour in candy or in kababs and other foods. It's not a question of banning, but making sure it's not misused," the Karnataka minister further said.
Experts said that when it comes to colors, there's a category of colors that are absolutely prohibited. "There's a category of colors which are allowed, but only under certain conditions. Now, as a consumer, how do I even begin to understand? There have been a lot of advances in the last few years over consumer awareness in terms of having a clear demarcation over whether a product is vegetarian or non-vegetarian," the expert said.
"…But when it comes to colors, a very complex technical subject here where the colors, the long chemical names of colors often don't ring a bell. We don't know. I'm sure most of us don't go and research the names we see at the back of a wrapper as to whether these colors are permissible or not," the expert told Times Now.
One of the experts said it was unfortunate that the addition of awful colors and synthetic dye has been found in various samples of cakes and pastries in Karnataka. But it is not a story of cakes (1:37) or a story of Karnataka. In the entire country, it's a common practice that in seeds and cooked (1:47) vegetables, they are also using such awful colors.
The expert said consumer awareness is the second part, the first thing is that FSSAI should take action — fast and punishable actions.
According to the report, about 5% to 10% of the bakeries that were surveyed by the Karnataka body turned out to be those that were adding these artificial colors.
The Health Department found that 12 cakes of many bakeries were found to have these substances added in excessive quantities.