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Snacks served in sheets of paper torn off old textbooks in Dimapur. Food safety authorities have banned the use of newspapers, recycled plastics, paper sheets and aluminium foil while wrapping food items.[/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, June 1: Many people indulge in the simple pleasure of eating deep fried ‘pakora’ and ‘aloo chop’ and other snacks from street vendors regularly.
These food items are usually served wrapped in newspapers, sheets of old school textbooks and foil plates. However, such packaging and serving methods are an invite to major health risks and issues including cancer.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in a recent advisory has restricted and banned all Food Business Operator (FBO) from using the most common form of packaging: newspapers. The FSSAI cited wrapping food in newspapers as “very injurious to health.”
The ban also includes the use of recycled plastics, paper sheets and aluminium foil.
The FSSAI, in its notice, informed that harmful pigments and chemicals are present in newspaper ink, apart from the presence of pathogenic microorganisms.
In this regard, the FSSAI as a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had directed all state Food Safety commissioners to take necessary steps.
However, it has been observed in Dimapur that many street food vendors as well as meat and vegetable sellers still use newspapers to wrap their food items. According to reports, older people and children are at a greater risk of acquiring cancer and other health-related complications; also claiming that Indians are being “slowly poisoned” by this.
Eastern Mirror spoke to a few street food vendors around the commercial hub. Surprisingly, most of them did not know about the risks of serving their fried food items in newspapers and foil plates.
“It never occurred to me that the ink can cause such health problems; since most of our items are fried, the newspaper helps in absorbing the excess oil,” said one food vendor at Clock Tower.
Another vendor said he cannot afford other means so he uses his children’s old textbook pages.
A butcher at Nagarjan was also seen wrapping a piece of meat in newspaper sheets.
“I know that the ink is not safe if it gets into the meat. But what else can I use that is easily available, especially after the ban on plastic bags,” said the butcher when asked if he was aware of the hazards.
According to reports, the FSSAI has directed all FBOs to have new packaging guidelines by July 1.
