It is understood that the Food and Drugs Administration in Maharashtra has issued an order asking food vendors not to wrap any eatables in newspapers while selling them to customers as the ink used for printing is harmful. The FDA in that state also warned of strict action if the practice is not stopped. The ink used for printing in the newspaper industry contains harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives. Besides chemical contaminants, the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms in old newspapers also poses a potential risk to humans. In the present circumstances, old newspapers used in wrapping eatables could also be carrying the Covid-19 virus. In Goa road-side food vendors, especially at the beach, could be wrapping eatables like vada, samosa, cutlet-pau, and other eatables in old newspapers. It may be recalled that in 2016, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had issued a pan-India advisory banning use of newspapers for wrapping food items. In India, there is also a practice of using paper to drain the excess oil from the food. When hot and oily foods are packaged in a newspaper, there is the risk of chemicals present in the ink entering the food products. The best way to wrap hot food items is by using tissue paper and white or brown paper without any printing on it. Plastic packaging material should also be avoided. In Goa, if food vendors violate the ban the same needs to be reported to the authorities concerned so that strict action is taken against the vendors.
