New Delhi|HL
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda has raised serious concerns over the practice of wrapping, covering or processing foods with newspaper and printed recycled paper materials in India.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India advisory said, “Newspaper should not be used to wrap, cover and serve food or to absorb excess oil from fried food. There is an urgent need to discourage use of newspapers as packaging material by creating awareness among businesses, especially unorganised food business operators, and consumers on its harmful effects,”
“It has been observed that vendors have been using newspapers in packing and serving food, which is harmful. I urge the public to dissuade the vendors from using newspapers in packing and serving food and not to themselves use too. We have also issued an advisory to this effect to the state agencies and dissuade vendors from using newspapers in packing/serving food,” Nadda said.
“The fact that the newspapers are printed with ink that can be absorbed in the food is well known. The newspaper ink contains many hazardous chemicals which can trigger serious health problems,” Nadda said.
The Health Minister further stated that there is a need to improve awareness among small businesses, particularly unorganized sector, and provide clear guidance.
“This should be backed up by systematic monitoring and enforcement by authorities,” Nadda added.
According to the advisory issued by FSSAI, “Wrapping food in newspapers is an unhealthy practice and the consumption of such food is injurious to health, even if the food has been cooked hygienically. Indians are being slowly poisoned due to newspaper being widely used as food packaging material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper.”
Foods contaminated by newspaper ink raise serious health concerns since the ink contains multiple bioactive materials with known negative health effects. Printing inks may also contain harmful colors, pigments, binders, additives, and preservatives. Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic microorganisms in used newspapers also poses potential risk to human health.
The advisory also states 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, Newspapers and even paper/ cardboard boxes made of recycled paper may be contaminated with metallic contaminants, mineral oils and harmful chemicals like phthalates which can cause digestive problems and also lead to severe toxicity.
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