The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a directive to consumers and food vendors to stop using newspapers for packing, serving and storing food due to health hazards.
Key points
- FSSAI CEO G. Kamla Vardhan Rao said the move is aimed at alerting consumers, food vendors and other stakeholders about the dangers.
Problems associated with using food in newspapers
- Newspapers contain ink containing bioactive ingredients, which can contaminate food and pose a health risk.
- Recycled paper boxes may also contain contaminants such as mineral oils and chemicals, which can potentially cause digestive problems and toxicity.
- Printing inks may contain various chemicals, including lead and heavy metals, which can leach into food.
- Newspapers are exposed to a variety of environmental conditions during distribution, making them susceptible to bacterial and viral contamination.
- Consuming contaminants from newspapers can cause foodborne illnesses.
- Newspapers should not be used to remove excess oil from fried food.
- Vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of cancer-related health problems from food packaged in such materials.
- The use of newspapers or such materials for storing and wrapping food is strictly prohibited as per the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations 2018.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has been established as an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was established on 5 September 2008.
- Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.