When it comes to eating street food, we often spend a lot of time worrying about what’s in the food, but not enough time worrying about what the food is in. Be they bun kebabs, samosas or any other downtown snack, odds are that the food you buy from street vendors will be wrapped in a newspaper. Now, here’s why this is bad news for you:
Wrapping fried food in newspapers is a very unhealthy practice and is very much prevalent in Kashmir and most parts of country and its consumption is injurious to health, even if the food has been cooked hygienically.
The reason is simple; the hot oil in, say, pakoras, facilitates the seeping of chemicals from ink and paper into the food. The newspaper ink contains many hazardous chemicals which can trigger serious health problems. Exposure to a class of organic chemicals called arylamines, such as benzidine, 2-Naphthylamine and 4-Aminobiphenyl, is associated with high risks of bladder and lung cancer.
Apart from these, printing inks also contain colorants, pigments, binders, additives and photo-initiators (used for speeding up the drying process of the ink), which have harmful effects. There are literally thousands of ink chemicals and a majority of them can be dangerous for consumers.
Newspapers are usually produced by a system called offset-web printing, which requires a certain consistency of the ink (it needs to be very thick) and a particular means of drying.
For the former, mineral oils (petroleum-based) and solvents such as methanol, benzene and toluene are used; and for the latter, heavy metal (Cobalt)-based drying agents are used. None of these should be used in food packaging, as they are also classified as harmful and can be perilous for consumers’ health.
Some offset printing ink formulations use vegetable oils rather than mineral oils; however, they have strong odours and should not be used in food packaging. Given the long-term risk from protracted exposure from an early age, the sale of such tainted foods to school children, a common sight in all our cities, must also be avoided and there is an urgent need to raise awareness on this issue.
Another similar problem which has been noticed is that fast food restaurants are packing burgers, soups and other hot meat and vegetable products in thin, transparent plastic bags, as take aways. These clear synthetic bags are typically made of polyethylene (polythene) and the principal potential ‘migrant’ agent is ethylene.
There are a number of potential additives to polythene, such as anti-static agents, ultra-violet protection and flame retardants. These additives can be very dangerous if they move into the take away food.
Other case is while using teabags, some people squeeze the teabag using the label fixed at the other end of the thread. As it can leak the ink from the label, it is recommended that the teabags should be squeezed by using the thread only.
In the recent time Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued an advisory wherein commissioners of Food Safety of all states were requested to initiate a systematic campaign for generating awareness among all stake holders to discourage the use of newspapers for packing, serving and storing of food items.
In the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Drugs & Food Control organization is the nodal department for enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, rules/regulation 2011 with sufficient manpower, Deputy Commissioner Food Safety at Divisional level, Designated Officers at District level and Food Safety Officer at Block/Zone level.
Food Safety & Standards Act provides mechanism for collection and testing of food samples for any potential hazards at government level through Food Safety Officers.
Even the Purchaser/consumer can get the food sample tested at his own as provided under section 40 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, however in case the sample fails in testing government is supposed to refund the cost of sample and other expenditure to the purchaser while Designated Officers are supposed to initiate action against defaulters. In case the sample is reported unsafe in testing.
The offence is punishable with an imprisonment for a term which may be extended to six years and also with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees.
The department has started a campaign under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 to control wrapping of fried foods in newspapers and banning the use of plastic bags for takeaways soups and other food items accordingly prosecution against many food business operators have been launched to tackle the issue.
Moreover, public awareness and support is the important means to discourage the use of newspapers in packaging of food items, consumers should refuse the food item if is packed /wrapped in newspaper.
Author is a Food Safety Officer Srinagar.
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