The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has once again warned street food vendors to not use newspapers for packing, wrapping or serving food items, citing serious health risks associated with printing ink and unhygienic handling.
The instruction comes following a recent incident in Mumbai where a popular vada pav vendor was allegedly using newspapers to wrap and serve food, of which authorities took note.
Following the discovery, officials from FSSAI's Western Region and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) executed a joint inspection and initiated action.
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To put an end to similar practices, the food authority has issued a notice for all food business operators to immediately stop using newspapers or similar printed materials for any food-related purpose.
Street food vendors, restaurants, cloud kitchens, caterers, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), food stalls, mobile food vendors and small retailers all fall under the ambit of the directive.
FSSAI had earlier flagged health risks related to newspaper ink which contains several chemicals, pigments, binders and colourants.
The authority warned that printing inks can contain lead and other heavy metals, which may permeate into food and cause long-term health complications.
Apart from this, newspapers are often exposed to dust, dirt and unsanitary conditions during printing, transportation and distribution, making them potential carriers of harmful pathogens.
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The food regulator reiterated that the use of newspapers for storing, wrapping or serving food is banned under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 and that it has issued an advisory on the same in the past.
Notably, newspapers can neither be used for absorbing excess oil from fried items such as fritters, samosas, pakoras and vada pav, nor for covering or storing prepared food, as per the directive.
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