Srinagar: Street vendors, butchers and other roadside food stalls have been asked not to use newspapers for wrapping, packing and serving food as doing so is a health hazard.
According to a statement of Assistant Commissioner Food Safety & Standards Srinagar, action shall be initiated against such street vendors and butchers who wrap food in newspapers as per the relevant provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act.
Food contaminated by newspaper ink raise serious health concerns with known negative health effects. Besides chemical contaminations, presence of pathogenic microorganisms in used newspapers also possesses risk to human health, the statement said.
According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FSSAI, wrapping food items in newspaper is bad for your health as its ink has multiple bio-active materials with known negative health effects.
“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,” the FSSAI issued an advisory recently.
“Printing inks may also contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives, and preservatives. Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic micro organisms in used newspapers also poses potential risk to human health,” the advisory said.
The advisory also said that even paper/cardboard boxes made of recycled paper may be contaminated with harmful chemicals like phthalate which can cause digestive problems and also 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,” the advisory warned.
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