Hyderabad: Titanium dioxide mixed in ginger-garlic paste

Hyderabad: A potentially dangerous chemical, titanium dioxide and lemon yellow synthetic colour powder were found mixed in the ginger-garlic paste made by two units in Habeebnagar. These units have been making tonnes of ginger-garlic paste that is supplied across the city, mainly to the catering industry.

Following a tip-off, the Task Force raided these units and found rotten, decomposed, ginger and garlic. 

  Over 36 kgs of ginger paste and 270 one-kg ginger paste tins were confiscated.

This deadly ginger-garlic paste is supplied to hotels and roadside eateries and put on sale in some markets. The unbranded bottles are sold in bulk and in tins. The titanium powder works as a whitener, but it has been proved that it is harmful to the body. The powder is available for a few rupees in stores selling bulk drugs.

“Titanium is a heavy metal. It has known carcinogenic properties. It has already been banned in personal care products abroad. Titanium is a fine white powder that is produced naturally; it is opaque and bright, used in the manufacture of paper, rubber, paints etc. It acts as a whitener and used mainly in the paint industry. The manufacturers must have used Titanium to make the paste shine. Medical science has proved that it has the tendency to accumulate in the body and harm it irreversibly. It has a very limited elimination rate from the human body causing changes in the spine and liver,” said a senior chemical scientist. 

Titanium dioxide has recently been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as an IARC Group 2B carcinogen and evidence showed that high concentrations of pigment-grade (powdered) and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in rats. 

Apart from food colour powder, potatoes, onions and banana pulp and locally made acids were found in the ginger-garlic paste, informed B. Limba Reddy, DCP, Task Force.