Serving Vada Pav And Samosas On Newspaper Pages Must Stop Fssai Issues Warning To Food Vendors

Lovers of roadside vada pav, samosas and pakodas may soon see a big change. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has once again clarified that no food item can be wrapped, served or stored in newspaper or other printed paper, as this can have a serious impact on the health of consumers.

This latest warning has been issued after a case came to light in Mumbai, in which a popular vada pav seller was accused of serving food items wrapped in newspaper. After receiving information about the matter, the team of Western Regional Office of FSSI and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted a joint inspection and initiated necessary action.

FSSI fears that this type of practice may be being widely adopted in other places also. In view of this, the authority has directed all food business operators to stop using newspapers or any printed material for food with immediate effect.

The order will also be applicable to roadside food vendors, restaurants, cloud kitchens, catering services, quick service restaurants (QSR), food stalls, mobile food vendors and small retailers.

According to FSSI, the ink used in newspaper printing contains many types of chemicals, pigments and binders, which can prove to be harmful to health if they come in contact with food. The authority has warned that printing ink may contain other heavy metals, including lead, which can leach into food and cause serious health problems in the long run.

Additionally, newspapers are exposed to dust, dirt and unhygienic conditions during printing, transportation and distribution, which increases the likelihood of harmful pathogenic bacteria being present in them.

FSSI said there is already a ban on keeping, wrapping or serving food items in newspaper under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018. The authority has already issued an advisory in this regard.

The authority also clarified that newspaper should not be used to absorb excess oil from fried foods like samosas, pakodas and vada pav. Similarly, use of newspaper for covering or storing prepared food is also prohibited.

FSSI has appealed to food businesses to use only food-grade packaging materials to ensure the safety of consumers. The general public has also been urged to remain alert and avoid purchasing food items being served in the newspaper.

The authority said it is working with state governments and local bodies to strictly enforce food safety rules and promote safe and sustainable packaging, so as to protect public health as well as strengthen food safety awareness.

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