India: Karnataka cracks down on plastic use in idli preparation

The Karnataka Health Department is likely to issue an official notification regulating idli preparation in the coming days. This comes after tests conducted by the food safety department found that at least a quarter of the idli samples analysed (54 on 251) were of poor quality or unsafe due to the use of plastic sheets during steaming. The plastic sheets contaminate the food with substances linked to cancer. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao told The New Indian Express that the shops providing the unsafe food samples had been fined for violating basic cooking standards. Since the use of plastic sheets in idli preparation is widespread and the public is largely ignorant of its risks, health authorities have started a campaign to enhance food safety across the state. According to Rao, 251 shops have already been inspected, and controls are becoming more extended in the coming days. All hotels and restaurants must immediately stop using plastic sheets in idli making and switch to safer alternatives like stainless steel or banana leaves.
Plastic in food preparation is considered a serious public health hazard. When it is exposed to high heat, it tends to release toxic chemicals in the food which can increase the risk of cancer. These chemicals, like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, provoke hormonal imbalances and metabolic disorders, favouring especially the development of breast and prostate cancer.