Kalaburagi (Karnataka) [India]: The Karnataka government has banned the use of plastic in idli preparation across all hotels in the state after the Health Minister flagged the presence of “toxic chemicals.”
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced the ban on X (formerly Twitter), citing the harmful effects of plastic on public health.
ಆರೋಗ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾರಕವಾಗಿರುವ ಪ್ಲಾಸ್ಟಿಕ್ ಅನ್ನು ಇಡ್ಲಿ ತಯಾರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಳಸುವುದು ಗಂಭೀರ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳನ್ನು ತಂದೊಡ್ಡಲಿದೆ. ಆಹಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಸುರಕ್ಷತಾ ಇಲಾಖೆ ನಡೆಸಿರುವ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದು ದೃಢಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು, ಹೋಟೆಲ್, ಉಪಹಾರ ಗೃಹಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡ್ಲಿ ತಯಾರಿಕೆಗೆ ಪ್ಲಾಸ್ಟಿಕ್ ಬಳಕೆಯನ್ನು ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಕುರಿತ ಪತ್ರಿಕಾ ಪ್ರಕಟಣೆಗಳು… pic.twitter.com/VttvNsSi5G
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) February 28, 2025
“This has been confirmed in a test conducted by the Food and Safety Department, and the use of plastic for the preparation of idli in hotels and restaurants has been banned,” he stated.
He further warned that toxic chemicals from plastic could leach into food, posing serious health risks, including cancer.
Strict Action Against Violators
The Health Minister emphasized that hotels must switch to safer alternatives like steel plates or banana leaves.
“Hotels must immediately stop using plastic and switch to safer alternatives like steel plates or banana leaves. Strict action will be taken against violators; public health is non-negotiable! If you spot plastic being used in food preparation, report it! Let’s ensure safe, healthy food for all,” he urged.
Hoteliers Respond to the Ban
The Karnataka State Hotels Association President, GK Shetty, confirmed that the directive has been communicated to all association members.
“The plastic ban has been going on. Our government and department are following up on this. I have already told my association members across the state that plastic should not be used. Earlier, we used to make idli with cloth, now we use nonstick utensils. Plastic should not be used for making idli,” Shetty told ANI.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Karnataka Hotel Owners Association, M.V. Raghavendra Rao, assured that hoteliers are already complying with the ban, adding that plastic use is more common among roadside vendors.
“Only the roadside food vendors are using plastic. We are trying to restrict the use of plastic there also, and it will be completely restricted by next month. We are conducting meetings every month,” he said.
The Karnataka government’s move aims to enhance food safety and public health while promoting eco-friendly alternatives in food preparation.