Toxic Idlis: Plastic Use in Karnataka Hotels Poses Cancer Risk

A sensational revelation has been made about the illegal use of polythene sheets to make idlis in hotels and roadside shops in Karnataka. Health officials in Bengaluru have revealed that the way some restaurants and vendors make idlis can cause serious diseases like cancer. After the report came, the Karnataka government ordered strict action against these hotels.The Karnataka Food Safety Department has found that 52 hotels were using polythene sheets to prepare idli, a popular snack, state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Thursday.With plastic exposure posing severe health risks, including cancer, the health department is now preparing to enforce strict regulations to prevent this practice. Authorities have also hinted at taking stringent action against eateries found violating food safety norms.”The food safety department had collected idli samples at 251 places across Karnataka. Earlier, clothes were used for cooking idlis, but we got the information that recently the hotels have started using plastic. So our officers went to various spots and conducted an inquiry,” Mr. Rao said.Idli is a very popular food in India, especially in South Indian states. It is considered healthy and light, but recently some samples of idli in Karnataka have failed the test, which can increase the risk of cancer. A big revelation has been made about idli in the investigation of the Food Safety Department. The investigation has found that eating idli can cause a risk of serious diseases like cancer. According to the Food Department, plastic sheets are now being used in place of traditional cotton cloth to prepare idlis in many areas of Bengaluru. Apart from this, harmful chemicals and synthetic colors were used in them. This can increase the risk of dangerous diseases like cancer.Even earlier it was packed in a thonga, i.e., a piece of paper. But now it is being given in a plastic bag. As soon as hot things are kept in a plastic bag, they start releasing poisonous chemicals, and people take them out of the plastic bag and eat them without knowing this. This can lead to many serious diseases like cancer.The investigation also revealed that some shopkeepers and hotels are using poor-quality rice and urad dal for idli. Apart from this, bleaching powder, synthetic colors, and chemicals were being added to make idli look more white and attractive. These should not be present in food items. These harmful elements can cause serious health problems after entering the body.Talking on this topic, Bidhan Das, a professor from Ambedkar University Delhi, who recently published his research paper on the impact of carcinogens on society at large, said, “In an investigation by the Food Department in Bengaluru, it was revealed that earlier cotton clothes were used to cook idlis, but now plastic is being used indiscriminately in its place. Actually, today plastic has become a part of our lives. We are unable to do any work without using plastic. This plastic is so dangerous that it is slowly hollowing out health from inside.”Reporting to true to life