Highlighting the health hazards associated with serving, packing, and storing food items in newspapers, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked both vendors and consumers to refrain from the practice.
FSSAI CEO G. Kamala Vardhana Rao pointed out that newspapers could be exposed to contamination by bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens during their distribution, use, and storage, and added that when food is served or packed in newspapers, consumers may ingest these, leading to health issues.
Rao also said the printing ink used in newspapers contain bioactive materials that will also cause health issues.
Serving or packaging food in newspapers is strictly prohibited under Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018.
FSSAI has called for the use of materials like food-grade containers to serve and store food to ensure the well-being of the consumers.
Meanwhile, the regulator, on Monday, during a meeting with Indian sweets manufacturers, in view of the upcoming festive season, highlighted the need to ensure the safety and quality of edibles and raw materials.
All food business operators (FBOs) were told that they are required to monitor the quality of oil during frying and discourage outdoor cooking practices, as they can expose food and raw materials to environmental contaminants and pose risks to food safety.
The meeting focused on sensitising all the stakeholders involved regarding the perishable high-risk edibles to ensure safe food throughout the touch points including manufacturing, storage, distribution and point of sale to the consumers.
