22% Of Pani Puri In Karnataka Fails To Meet FSSAI Quality Standards; Cancer-Causing Substances Found

If there’s one street food snack that deserves national status, it has to be pani puri. Call it gol gappa or puchka, pani puri has a special place in the hearts of Indians. Even judges on the recent MasterChef Australia S16 experienced foodgasm after gorging on this chatpata street bite. Unfortunately, things are a little under the “pani” for the pani puri lovers in Karnataka as the 22 per cent of pani puri failed to meet the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) quality standards.

Pani Puri In Karnataka Under The Water; FSSAI Finds 22% Of Samples Unsafe

As per a report by Deccan Herald, around 22 per cent of pani puri sold across Karnataka failed to meet the quality standards of FSSAI. The food regulatory authorities collected 260 samples of pani puri from across the state. Out of which 41 were deemed to be unsafe as they not just contained artificial colours but even cancer-causing agents. Another 18 were said to be of poor quality and unsafe for consumption.

Srinivas K, Commissioner of Food Safety stated to DH that they took the decision to test the quality of pani puri sold in Karanataka after receiving numerous complaints. Furthremore, Srinivas K stated that since pani puri is one of the most sought-after chaat items, they receiving a lot of complaints pertaining to quality issues in its preparation.

So, the FSSAI collected samples of the street food item from roadside and even well-known restaurants. They collected samples for testing from every category of outlets from the state. The food safety commissioner said that the results of the tests revealed that a substantial number of of samples collected were unfit for consumption.

Also Read: Love Pani Puri? Relish This Delicious Snack With Savoury Jamun Pani; Recipe Inside

Artificial Colouring Used May Cause Cancer & Renal-Damage

Dr Vishal Rao, Dean-Centre for Academic Research, HCG Cancer Centre threw more light on this grave matter to DH. He informed that the artificial colours used in pani puri could lead to customers suffering from a simple stomach upset to even cardiac diseases. A few people may also suffer from renal damage or auto-immune diseases. He urged vendors and restaurants to stop using artificial colours while preparing food. Apart from making food look visually-attractive, there is no other merit.

Srinivas stated to DH that currently the food safety officers are analysing the results to have a better understanding of the impact of these chemicals. Moreover, he assured that FSSAI will work on enforcing a set of safety standards on smaller eateries. And also the team will take action against the offenders.

Also Read:“Don’t Forget Sukha Puri” Netizens React To Americans Trying Pani Puri On The Street Of Minneapolis

After banning food colouring in kebabs and cotton candy, looks like pani puri is under “pani”. Meanwhile, folks from Karnataka have you ever suffered from any health issues after eating pani puri in the state?

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro (representative image)