The Puducherry government on Thursday banned the sale of marshmallows after officials discovered toxic chemicals were used in their preparation.

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan announced the news after sharing a video on her official Instagram account, asking people not to buy marshmallows for children as they contain toxic substances that may harm their health.

according to india todaysellers holding quality certificates from the food safety department can continue to sell marshmallows.

“A toxic substance called ‘Rhodamine B’ has been found to be used in marshmallows consumed by children and others in Puducherry,” the governor said in the video.

Government officials have been instructed to inspect shops selling marshmallows and seize them after discovering the presence of toxic substances. “People should be aware that food containing color additives should not be given to children,” the governor said in asking the public to make informed decisions.

While sharing the video, Soundararajan said in the caption, “Don’t buy chemical marshmallows for children, it affects children’s health…” and ended with the hashtags “Marshmallow”, “panchu mittai” and “Puducherry”.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH.gov), rhodamine B (often abbreviated as RhB) is a compound that functions as a dye.

The website further mentions that RhB, when mixed with food, can enter the body and cause oxidative stress on cells and tissues. In fact, long-term use of rhodamine B in food can lead to serious health problems, such as liver dysfunction or cancer.

When the human body is exposed to a large amount of Rhodamine B in a short period of time, it may even lead to acute poisoning.