Cancer causing chemicals detected in popular bakery cakes, government issues warning to consumers

Karnataka: Cancer-causing chemicals found in cakes, say reports. The Karnataka food safety department has issued a warning to public. The Government after identifying cancer-causing agents in 12 popular bakery cake products, issued an alert. The alarming findings have sparked concerns about food safety and the potential health risks associated with these most loved bakery products. The authorities have confirmed the presence of harmful chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and acrylamide in those bakery products which are known to cause cancer.

In a statement, The Karnataka Food Safety and Quality Department revealed that several carcinogenic substances, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and acrylamide, were found in all the 12 cake samples tested. The samples were collected from different bakeries in Bengaluru.

Reportedly, 235 cake samples were tested by the state government to ensure the quality of the bakery products. Out of 235 cake samples, 223 were found safe, while the other 12 samples found to be contain dangerous levels of artificial food coloring agents. Popular cake varieties like black forest and red velvet cake are often made with these vibrant artificial food coloring agents. These cake varieties have the high chances of causing cancer. The bakeries use artificial coloring agents like Allura red, Sunset Yellow FCF, Ponceau 4R, Tartrazine, and Carmoisine to make the cake look more vibrant and colorful.

The high use of artificial colors increases cancer risks along with harming mental and physical health of consumers, said the Karnataka Food Safety and Quality Department in its statement. It can also cause serious health conditions like, cancer (kidney, thyroid, breast), neurological damage (nerve damage, numbness), reproductive problems, birth defects and genetic mutations.

Few months ago, the Karnataka food safety department banned the use of artificial food colors, including Rhodamine-B, in cotton candy and gobi manchurian due to health concerns. The government has now ordered all the bakeries to follow the safety rules and with warning against the use of artificial colors in cakes.