Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has warned both consumers and food vendors against using newspapers for packing, serving and storing food items.
FSSAI’s CEO, G Kamala Vardhana Rao highlighted the same, expressing concern over significant health risks associated with this practice with an aim to alert all stakeholders.
Risks with newspaper wrapping
Newspapers are often subjected to various environmental conditions during distribution which makes them vulnerable to contamination by bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens during their distribution, use, and storage that may transfer to food.
When food is served or packed in newspapers, consumers may ingest these, leading to health issues.
The ink used in newspapers in itself contains several bioactive materials with known negative health effects and may contain chemicals, including Lead and heavy metals.
This may leak into food and pose serious health risks over time.
Adopt approved food packaging
FSSAI is working with state food authorities to enforce regulations to prohibit use of newspapers for wrapping or packaging food items.
For the time being it has recommended adoption of approved food packaging materials like food-grade containers to ensure consumer safety.
Serving or packaging food in newspapers is strictly prohibited under Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, strictly prohibit the use of newspapers or similar materials for storing and wrapping food.
Newspapers should neither be used to wrap, cover or serve food nor to absorb excess oil from fried food.
The regulator, in a meeting with sweets manufacturers stressed the need to ensure the safety and quality of edibles and raw materials, especially in view of the upcoming festive season.
Ahead of festive season
All food business operators (FBOs) are required to monitor the quality of oil during frying and to not adopt outdoor cooking practices.
This could expose food and raw materials to environmental contaminants and pose risks to food safety.
The meeting focused on perishable high-risk edibles to ensure safe food throughout manufacturing, storage, distribution and point of sale to the consumers
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