Gobi Manchurian sales declined in Bengaluru after Rhodamine - B ban: Report

The fast-food vendors in Bengaluru reportedly saw a massive decline in the sales of Gobi Manchurian across the city after the Karnataka government imposed a ban on Rhodamine-B, a colouring agent used in the dish. According to a report in The Hans India, Gobi Manchurian saw an 80% decline in sales due to its original colour, without any colouring agent.

Also Read - Karnataka government bans Rhodamine-B food colour used in gobi manchurian

Speaking to the publication, one of the Gobi vendors in the city said, “People do not want to eat Gobi Manchurian anymore because it does not look the same without the colouring agent in it. Earlier, I used to make at least ₹10,000 a day, but now, making ₹5,000 is a big task. There is no proper return on investment.” The businessmen also experimented with natural food colouring agents to make Gobi Manchurian more appealing to customers.

Earlier this month, the Karnataka government announced a blanket ban on the food colouring agent Rhodamine-B, which is widely used in dishes such as Gobi Manchurian and cotton candy.

Speaking to reporters, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “We have done a special drive on the gobi manchurian dish and found that harmful Rhodamine-B is being used to make the dish. It is a health-hazardous colouring agent, and we decided to ban it from usage. Not following the government order can lead to seven years or life imprisonment, and a fine of up to ₹10 lakh will also be slapped,"

Rao also stressed that more drives would be conducted on other food items with harmful colouring agents.

In February, the Tamil Nadu government also banned selling and consuming cotton candy after they found harmful Rhodamine – B and textile dye.