Karnataka health dept bans use of plastic in cooking idlis

Bengaluru:  The Karnataka state health department has effectively banned the use of plastic sheets to make idlis in hotels, eateries and other food establishments across Karnataka, after the state Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) found 51 samples of idli to be "unsafe".

The FDA had tested nearly 251 idli samples from across the state and found that in 51 samples, using plastic sheets led to contamination. 

State health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced this on Thursday, noting that plastic use in food preparation is a "serious public health hazard", asserting that its use in cooking idlis, in place of cloth, has been strictly banned. 

"When used in idli making, toxic chemicals from plastic leach into food, increasing health risks for consumers. I urge all hotels and food establishments to immediately stop this practice and adopt safer alternatives like stainless steel plates or banana leaves. Public health cannot be compromised," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The health minister noted that the plastics used could be carcinogenic, thus having negative impact on public health. The food establishments linked to the 51 unsafe samples are being fined, he insisted.