If you are giving pink cotton candy or rose milk to children, then be cautious, the chemicals found in them cause cancer.

Often You might have seen pink, blue or white cotton candies in the market. These are also called ‘old woman’s hair’ in common language. Most children eat cotton candy with great interest. At the same time, children often like colorful cotton candy. Among these too, pink cotton candy is most liked. If you or your children are also fond of pink cotton candy, then be alert. You don’t know that you are feeding poisonous chemicals to your children in the name of pink cotton candy. This chemical is so dangerous that it can cause cancer in the long run.

There is a ban on the sale of cotton candy in many states including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Delhi. Even after this, you will easily find cotton candy on the roadside, red light or in the markets. Food and Safety Department’s investigation found that cotton candy contains poisonous element rhodamine B. However, there is no ban on the sale of uncolored cotton candy. Let us tell you that ‘Rhodamine B’ found in cotton candy is a synthetic dye, which gives pink or dark red color. This chemical is used extensively in textile, paper and leather industries.

This cheap chemical dissolves very fast in water
Rhodamine B dissolves very quickly in water. Also it is very cheap. Therefore, Rhodamine B is used extensively in many industries to make pink or red colored products. Rhodamine B is not biodegradable. Not only this, the color made with its help does not fade in heat and bright light. Therefore, Rhodamine B is approved to be used as a pigment in many industries. However, its use in food items is completely banned. Despite this, Rhodamine B is also widely used in food items.

Use of Rhodamine B is a punishable offense
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India i.e. FSSAI has approved the use of other artificial colors in food items. But, FSSAI has given clear guidelines regarding the type and quantity of colors used in food items. FSSAI has banned the use of Rhodamine B to color food items. Even after this, using them is a crime under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, for which there is also a provision of punishment.

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In which food items is it used?
Rhodamine B is used to give red and pink color to food items. Apart from pink cotton candy, Rhodamine B is also added to the milk in the name of selling rose milk. Apart from this, Rhodamine B is also used to give red color to betel nut, red radish, sweet potato, many vegetables and fruits. Let us tell you that adding some pigments to add color to food items is allowed. FSSAI allows mixing of Alura Red for red color or Apple Green for green color. Its quantity is also fixed.

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How to know if Rhodamine B has been found or not
Now it is also not necessary that every pink or red food item contains Rhodamine B. Now the question arises that how to find out this. Let us tell you that this can be detected very easily at home. Rhodamine B chemical dissolves very easily in water and oil. If you suspect that the sweet potato has been colored by applying Rhodamine B, then soak a little cotton in water or oil and rub it on the surface. If the cotton turns pink, Rhodamine B may have been applied to the sweet potato. Not everything can be investigated in this manner as suggested by FSSAI. On this, the Food Safety Department says that it is a better option to avoid dark and brightly colored vegetables, fruits, ice cream, chocolate, cakes.

How does Rhodamine B affect health?
According to some studies, Rhodamine B can be carcinogenic and mutagenic i.e. cause cancer. This can cause skin diseases, difficulty in breathing, damage to liver and kidneys. Rhodamine B released from factories pollutes the environment and groundwater. Continuous use of Rhodamine B can cause liver cancer. The relationship between Rhodamine B and liver damage has been confirmed in many researches. Apart from the liver, it has a bad effect on the nervous system. It can also damage the spinal cord. Generally, consuming it once or twice does not have any serious effect, but continuous consumption can be harmful.

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Tags: Food Safety Act, FSSAI, Healthy Foods