Use of plastic in Idli is prohibited: Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao

Feb 27, 2025

Bengaluru, Karnataka [India], February 27 : Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Thursday that action has been taken against 54 people across the state for using plastic in the making of Idli. He warned that the use of plastic in the making of the popular dish is prohibited.
He further informed that authorities had taken around 250 odd samples across the state during an inspection at various hotels carried out by the Department of Food Safety & Standards.
"The Department of Food Safety & Standards has conducted inspections at various hotels in Karnataka to check how Idlis are being prepared there. The use of plastic during the steaming process of Idli that is not completely allowed. Earlier they used cotton cloth or banana leaf to redo the steaming. But here they using plastic and that is a carcinogenic material which gets mixed into the food into the Idli," Rao told ANI.
"And that is something which is prohibited and we have told them not to use. And around 54 people who are making it like that, we have taken action against them and put certain fines and around 250 odd samples have been taken across the state," he added.
He added that the inspection was carried out to maintain food safety standards. "This is a measure to see that food safety standards are maintained and bad practises are removed".
He said that the government is creating awareness among the people about the safety of food.
"So we are creating more awareness among the people and also even the people who prepare the food, they should be aware that this is not allowed. This is bad for the food itself. And all these carcinogenic materials are getting mixed with food. It is completely unhealthy. So we are trying to educate our people".