June 08, 2017 09:44: BJP MLA Ramesh Arora of Jammu and Kashmir says he wants much-loved momos banned because they contain the carcinogenic monosodium glutamate or Ajinomoto.
He has been campaigning for a ban on the dumplings, popularly called momos, saying they have been found to be the root cause of several life-threatening diseases, including cancer of the intestine.
The Hindustan Times reports that the MLA has been speaking at public functions for the past five months, seeking a ban on the sale of momos at least in his state.
The lawmaker has also vowed to ban cancer-causing taste enhancer monosodium glutamate, sold under the brand name Ajinomoto.
Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Arora said that Ajinomoto, a kind of salt, causes serious diseases, including cancer. It is responsible for converting a minor headache into migraine.
Arora met state health minister Bali Bhagat recently to persuade him to prohibit the sale of momos and Chinese street food.
But he isn’t against food prepared hygienically and without harmful ingredients.
What he is against are momos that are steamed or fried and prepared in slums across Jammu. Consequently, his campaign has crimped momo sales in Jammu by 35%.
The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute concluded after a study in 2007 that Ajinomoto causes stomach cancer. The WHO declared it unsafe in 2004.