Despite directions against it, serving food in newspapers continues in Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 10: The vendors, butchers and other roadside food out lets continue to use newspapers for wrapping and packing food items despite directions from authorities not to use it given the harmful effects.

Recently, the statement was issued by the Assistant Commissioner Food safety and standards, Srinagar Hilal Ahmad in which it was said that strict action will be taken against those violating the directions.

The statement further said that as per the relevant provisions of food safety and standards act, the guilty will be punished.

In contrast, nothing has changed on the ground, the violations are taking place at random and still newspapers continue to be the preferred choice of vendors and butchers to wrap the food articles.

At Maharaja Bazar, which is in the heart of the Srinagar city, the butchers were seen selling meat wrapped with the newspaper to the customers.

The road side vendors, selling snacks were also seen selling them to the customers wrapped with the newspapers at many places in and around the Srinagar city.

Even fried fishes were sold to the customers wrapped with the newspapers at Munawarabad, Baghat and Hyderpora.

When this reporter talked to some of the vendors and butchers about the directions issued by the food and safety standards department, Srinagar, they said that they are not aware of the directions.

“We have not heard that government has banned the use of newspaper. We are as usual selling the meat wrapped with the newspapers. If at all the directions would have reached to us. We would have at once started obeying them,” said Ali Mohammad a butcher from Nowpora.

Pertinently, the 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 life.

The Food, Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has already warned that such unhealthy practice can be injurious to health even if the food is prepared in a safe and hygienic manner.

Since the ink used in newspapers has multiple bioactive materials with known negative health effects can easily leached into foods wrapped or served in them, it poses a potential risk to human health when consumed. Also, the solvent used to dissolve ink on the paper can be potentially carcinogenic.

"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 Food, Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) said in an advisory.

"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," the advisory said.

Assistant Commissioner of food safety and standards, Srinagar Hilal Ahmad said that “we are on the job”.

He further said that “we have destroyed the newspaper stock of vendors at many places in the Srinagar city”.

“Where ever the violation is still taking place, that will be looked in, guilty will be taken to task in accordance with the law,” he said.