Tamil Nadu bans cotton candy following presence of textile dye

Chennai: Tamil Nadu government on Saturday banned the production and sale of cotton candy and food items with colour additives due to the presence of a toxic textile dye, Rhodamine B, which could be harmful to people’s health.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that the decision was taken after the results of tests conducted by a government lab confirmed the presence of the textile dye. The decision comes days after the Puducherry government imposed a ban on the candy, which is very popular among children, contending that they were “very harmful” to kids.

Since the candies that were sold in Puducherry were manufactured in Tamil Nadu, the state government sent samples of the food items for testing. “The test result says Rhodamine B is present in the cotton candy and food items with colour additives. According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, this is an unsafe food with poor standards,” Subramanian said.

“Production, packaging, sale, and export of food with the presence of Rhodamine B is a punishable offence under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” Subramanian said, adding that a ban has been imposed on the same.

Rhodamine B is a chemical compound and a dye which is used in textiles.