The public have urged authorities of the Mysuru City Corporation and hoteliers to direct bakery owners and eateries operators to shun using newspapers to pack food items.
Instead, they should be informed to use butter paper packing materials as food items and bakery items are likely to absorb chemicals from the newspaper prints, which are likely to cause health issues, they said.
India had registered 14.1 lakh new cancer cases last year and 9.1 lakh people died from cancer disease in the country, according to the release by World Health Organisation.
Many hoteliers, bakeries, shopkeepers, roadside snacks vendors, fast food joints, restaurants and canteens still wrap food items, including idli, vada, dosa, cake and other items, with newspaper. They must the shun the practice of wrapping food items in newspaper as it absorbs chemicals from the newspaper print leading to cancer, urged residents.
Instead of using butter paper which costs INR 20 for a sheet, several bakeries are still found to be using newspaper to pack food.
Though the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) enforced the ban on the use of newspapers for wrapping such food items, keeping a strict vigil on street food stalls, push carts, hotels, canteens and restaurants, the practice of using newspaper has continued unabated.
Newspapers are often subjected to various environmental conditions during distribution, making them susceptible to contamination by bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that may transfer to the food, potentially causing food-borne illnesses.
According to FSSAI regulation, newspapers should not be used to wrap, cover or serve food, nor should they be used to absorb excess oil from fried food. Printing ink, usually used for printing newspapers, may contain bioactive materials, harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives, preservatives, chemical contaminants and even pathogenic microorganisms that may pose potential risk to human health, according to the FSSAI advisory.
“Newspapers and even paper or 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,” it says.
FSSAI, Mysuru region chief officer Ravindra said that the organisation has booked cases against eight shopkeepers, during the spot inspection drive they carried out in the city, for wrapping food items in newspaper. A penalty amount of INR 2,000 to INR 15,000 was also collected from them.
As wrapping food in newspaper is an unhealthy practice and the consumption of such food is injurious to health, his department has also issued an advisory to them often. “My department will intensify the drive in all areas of the city very soon,” he said.
“Anyone found using the banned materials, stern action would be initiated against them under the Food Safety and Standards Act. There is also provision to impose a fine up to INR 1 lakh under this Act. If they do not pay the fine, then a case will be registered,” said the officer.
Hotel Owners’ Association president M Narayanagowda said he would direct all its members to stop wrapping food items in newspapers, besides to follow the FSSAI advisory, guidelines and regulation strictly.