pink cotton candy banned little by little, due to health risks

Some Indian states have said stop to this sweet, cottony, airy ball, which sticks and melts on the tongue. In cotton candy, which is also called “old lady’s hair” there, Indian authorities have found a carcinogenic substance.

Cotton candy, associated in our imaginations with childhood and fun fairs, is sold in India in stations, near trains. Also near the beaches: sellers hang them in bunches, at the end of a stick, attached to their bike for example. But in a southern state, Tamil Nadu, tests were carried out, says the newspaper The Indian Express. And rhodamine B was found. It’s a dye that gives Indian beard a very pink, almost neon pink, tint. It is a substance which is used in industry, textiles, cosmetics and inks, in the coloring of leather or paper. But in food, it is dangerous, local authorities said in substance.

Immediate effects: stomach ache, itching, even respiratory problems. And if consumed over time, the kidneys, liver and intestines can be affected with a risk of cancer. The production and sale of cotton candy has therefore been banned in this State by the Minister of Health. A similar decision was taken a little earlier in the territory of Pondicherry.

Worried about the French beard?

Rhodamine B is banned in Europe, recalls the BBC. It cannot be found, in theory, in food products. But in India, several other states, alerted, are carrying out tests. This is particularly the case in the Delhi region.

The aim is not, insists the Minister of Health of Tamil Nadu, to ban cotton candy for life. But to raise awareness among sellers who often make it in an artisanal way and who use this dye because it costs less, explain the Indian media. The authorities also say that they will be careful in the future, that a color that is too pink will act as a warning, and that the cotton candy that will be sold in the future will have to be “colorless”… or almost.