Is Rhodamine B banned in India?

Rhodamine B is a fluorescent pink dye made for textiles and paper. It is cheap, intensely coloured and toxic, and it has no place in food anywhere. In India the Food Additives Regulations list the synthetic colours that may be used, and Rhodamine B is not among them; under the Food Additives Regulations any colour not on the list is prohibited in all foods.

The dye became a public issue in early 2024. Tamil Nadu's food safety department tested cotton candy sold on Chennai beaches and found Rhodamine B, prompting a state ban on the product in February 2024. Karnataka followed in March 2024 after finding the dye in gobi manchurian, the fluorescent-orange street-food staple, and in cotton candy; the state prohibited its use and set penalties for vendors. Other states issued advisories.

The state orders did not create a new prohibition, the dye was already banned nationally, but they gave inspectors a product-specific instrument and generated the search interest that persists. Rhodamine B has also been found in adulterated chilli powder and sweets, where it is used to boost colour. Its presence is detectable by simple field tests, and enforcement rests with state food safety officers.