'Indians being slowly poisoned': Strictly avoid using newspapers for wrapping or serving food. FSSAI explains why

Do you wrap food in newspaper or eat street snacks such as vada pav, pakodas, and samosas served in newspaper packaging? If so, you may be exposing yourself to health risks you never considered.

The food authority has repeatedly warned citizens about the health risks associated with eating food wrapped in a newspaper.

The FSSAI warned in its 2016 advisory, "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 newspapers being widely used as food packaging material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper," it stated as per a press release in 2016.

In 2018, the FSSAI had posted on Facebook: “Newspaper should not be used to wrap, cover, serve or absorb excess oil from any food as newspaper ink contains harmful chemicals which slowly poison our body and are injurious to health.”

"Avoid Newspaper Usage with Food at all costs," it added.

This can cause indigestion and other stomach-related issues, and even serious health hazards.

According to an FSSAI advisory issued in 2016, foods contaminated with newspaper ink pose serious health concerns, as the ink contains multiple bioactive substances with known negative health effects.

Printing inks may also contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives, and preservatives. Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic microorganisms in used newspapers also poses potential risk to human health.

It had also warned, "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."

Who is at greater risk? The advisory said 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.

In the 2016 press release, the then Minister of Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda, expressed concerns about the practice of wrapping, covering, or processing food with newspaper and other printed recycled paper materials in India.

"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,” JP Nadda had said.

The then health minister had stated that there is a need to improve awareness among small businesses, particularly unorganised sector, and provide clear guidance. “This should be backed up by systematic monitoring and enforcement by authorities,” Shri Nadda added.

An advisory was also issued, stating that the Commissioners of Food Safety of all States/Union Territories will initiate systematic campaigns for generating awareness among all the stakeholders to discourage the use of newspapers for packing, serving and storing food items.