Illegally biryani shops running in Cooch Behar, WB are suspected of also using adulterated and cancerous spices and additives. Locals complained to Cooch Behar Municipal Chairman Rabindranath Ghosh, who ordered closure of at least one shop.
According to ETV Bharat’s report, several illegal biryani shops have sprung up in Cooch Behar city, including the Shani Mandir area. These shops have been running for a long time without a trade license, and unhealthy food is being prepared. Questions have also been raised about the quality of various spices used in cooking. Businessmen from outside are coming and opening these biryani shops by renting in the area.
Recently, after receiving several complaints from local residents, the Cooch Behar Municipality launched an operation. Chairman Rabindranath Ghosh closed down a biryani shop in the Shani Mandir area of the city on Saturday afternoon, October 22, on charges of using adulterated spices in the biryani. Kajol Roy, a resident of the area, said, “There were many questions raised about this biryani shop in the area.”
According to the local people, a man named Rabbani Khan Pappu came from Bihar and opened the biryani shop before Durga Puja. Municipal sources said shops need to maintain the quality of food and operate only after obtaining a food licence and a municipal trade license.
Rabindranath Ghosh said, “Common people have complained of loss of virility after eating biryani from this shop. There are also allegations against Rabbani Khan Pappu of attacking locals while drunk at night.”
Incidentally, tartrazine is used as a colour in these biryanis. Tartrazine is carcinogenic. A carcinogen is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing cancer. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye widely used in food industries; it has recently been shown to induce oxidative stress (a well-known risk factor of cancer) in rat tissues.
The craze for biryani reportedly surges during Durga Puja, allowing for unscrupulous, fly-by-night operators to make a quick buck. Earlier, shawarma stalls in Kerala were found to be serving rotten meat allegedly leading to death of one girl. Religiously indoctrinated vendors and restaurant cooks have also been found indulging in unhygienic practices and deliberate adulteration of food including with urine, apart from spitting on food during the Covid-19 pandemic.
