Team Herald
PANJIM: In a bid to promote food safety practice among shopkeepers and street vendors, the FDA director Salim Veljee has raised serious health concerns on the use of newspapers for wrapping and packing edibles citing that newspaper ink contaminates the food even if cooked well.
Earlier this month, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) had issued an advisory not to use newspapers for wrapping and packing edibles.
“Wrapping food in newspapers is an unhealthy practice and the consumption of such food is injurious to health, even if it is cooked hygienically. Food contaminated by newspaper ink raises serious health concerns since the ink contains multiple bioactive materials with known negative health effects. Printing inks may also contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives. Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic micro-organisms also poses potential risk to human health,” he said in a press release. Veljee also pointed out that paper and cardboard boxes made of recycled paper could be contaminated with metallic contaminants, mineral oils and harmful chemicals like phthalates.
“This can cause digestive problems and lead to severe toxicity. Older people, teenagers, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems are at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications, if they are exposed to food packed in such material,” he stated in a press release.
With the food regulator yet to impose penalty for non-compliance, it has advised that general public discourage accepting food wrapped/packed/served in newspapers.
