Karnataka: Govt Imposes Ban On Use Of Plastic In Idli-Making As Health Minister Flags Presence Of Carcinogen

꧅The Karnataka government on Thursday imposed a ban on the usage of plastic in the process of preparation of idlis across all hotels in the state after the state's Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao flagged the presence of carcinogenic elements.

✅The development came after the Karnataka Food Safety Department ran a survey across the state and discovered that 52 hotels use polythene sheets to prepare idlis.

What Did The Minister Say?

🍎According to the health minister, the Health Department ran tests on about 250 different samples of idli from across the state for the use of plastic to cover the idlis while cooking instead of the traditional cloth.

“The department officials collected 251 samples from across the state and sent them for testing. Previously, cloth was used while cooking idli; we got information that these days in some places plastic was being used instead of cloth,” Gundu Rao told the media, as per a report by India Today.

꧅“Therefore, our department investigated this. Out of the 251 samples, 52 samples tested positive for the use of plastic. This should not be done as plastic has carcinogens and this can get into the idli,” the minister explained.

🦩The health department will soon issue official orders to ensure this doesn’t happen and take necessary action against any establishment violating the rule, or found using plastic sheets, he said.