BENGALURU: Health safety officials are cracking down on food outlets using plastic sheets in the preparation of idlis. As many as 254 eateries have been inspected across the state and 24 issued notice.
The crackdown comes in the wake of the commissionerate of food safety and drug administration ordering inspections of hotels, restaurants, and street vendors across Karnataka. An order in this regard was issued on Feb 14, 2025, following complaints from the public.
Eating foods cooked with plastic subjected to very high temperatures might cause harm to one’s health.
Hoteliers in the city, meanwhile, said while some in the sector may be using plastic sheets, a majority opts for white cotton cloth, banana leaves, or non-stick moulds.
Karthik B Shetty, founder of Idly Guru, which provides batter and equipment to 50 food trucks and food outlets, including quick-service restaurants across Bengaluru, said paper with a thin layer of plastic laminating it was used in establishments in the past to cut costs and effort in cleaning the cloth traditionally used between the batter and mould. Cloth usually has to be washed and dipped in water with each use, while paper rolls were a shortcut. These were also a cheaper alternative to butter paper. The large-scale production of idlis evolved from banana leaves to cloth, paper roll, and now largely, non-stick moulds.
Bruhat Bangalore Hotel Association (BBHA) president Subramanya Holla S told TOI: “While some small hotels may be using plastic sheets, 90% of city hotels have stopped using them as far as I know. And a lot of them are going in for the widely available non-stick moulds.”
“A lot of people are using cloth now, the traditional way. Plastic sheets were opted for in the past as they were easier to maintain compared to cloth, which needed to be cleaned and dried. Plastic became a convenient option with labour attrition too,” he pointed out, considering it a bygone trend. “In sync with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) standards, we have reminded members to forgo plastic.”
Krishna Raj, proprietor of Hotel Nisarga Grand on Nrupathunga Road, said, “Plastic was used earlier, but people have switched to the healthier option of banana leaves. We use banana leaves for tatte idlis and cotton cloth for smaller idlis — these cloths are washed thoroughly and then reused. We use the cloth just for idlis.”
Vasant Kumar of Chalukya Samrat said, “We use steel cutlery and steel moulds, which are covered with a neat white cloth that is wet before putting idli batter. We have several cloth pieces that are washed, dry-cleaned, and used; we use 18-20 per day, with about 800 idlis being churned out on a weekday.”
Using plastic sheets to cook idlis can be harmful due to the release of toxic chemicals when plastic is exposed to high temperatures.
As plastic is not designed for cooking, the heat can cause it to break down and leach harmful substances, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, into the food.
These chemicals are known to disrupt hormonal balances and may lead to long-term health issues, including reproductive problems, developmental disorders, and increased risks of certain cancers.
When food is cooked in direct contact with plastic sheets, the potential for these harmful substances to enter the food increases, posing serious risks to consumer health.
