We are conducting drives in markets: Official
The wrapping of food items in newspapers by street vendors is rampant across Kashmir markets while the advisories issued by the government against health hazard have turned flop.
Food items wrapped in newspapers according to doctors contains bio-active materials with known negative health effects.
Ghulam Mohammad, 45 a resident of Batamaloo is not aware of the consequences of wrapping food items in newspapers.
“If the ink is bad for health, then authorities must curb it. Vendors are doing it openly and there are no checks on them,” he said.
Auqib, a postgraduate student at Kashmir University said he has been visiting Srinagar from the past three years and often brings snacks but he gets it in wrapped newspapers.
The vendors in the markets, he said are least bothered about the health of customers. “They aren’t aware of the consequences of using newspapers to wrap the foods.”
Saqib, who hails from Budgam, said checking squads, is a must if authorities are concerned about human health.
“People are wealthy but not healthy. We aren’t sure what we are being offered in markets,” he said.
People raise eyebrows over the lackadaisical approach of the health department for failing to check the menace which is rampant.
“I have never seen any checking in the markets which is very unfortunate. The menace is seen everywhere but authorities are less bothered about it,” he said.
According to doctors, newspapers, even paper or cardboard boxes made of recycled paper may be contain metallic residues, mineral oils and harmful chemicals like phthalates, which can cause digestive problems and lead to severe toxicity.
State Surveillance Officer Disease Control, Dr Manzoor Qadri told Rising Kashmir that they had issued an advisory in the past.
“Use of newspapers for wrapping food is a common practice in India and this is a food safety hazard. It is an unhealthy practice and the consumption of such kind of food is injurious to health, even if the food has been cooked hygienically,” he said.
Qadri said people are being slowly being poisoned due to the newspapers being widely used as food packing material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper.
“Printing inks may also contain harmful colors, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives.”
He said older people; teenagers; children and people with compromised vital organs and immune system are at grave risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications if they are exposed to food packed in such material.
Most of the street vendors sell fried foods in the ink papers and don’t adhere to the guidelines while the situation at grassroots remains the same.
“A newspaper shouldn’t be used wrap food or to absorb oil. There is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspapers as food packaging material by creating awareness,” Qadri told Rising Kashmir
Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, Srinagar Hilal A Mir said “We are conducting drives in the markets. We have been able to curb it at religious places especially outside nes,” he said.
In February 2017, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda directed the food regulatory authority against the practice of covering food items in newspapers in India.
“There are complaints that vendors use the newspapers in small streets. We wouldn’t allow them to do so and will work tough against them,” Mir said.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has banned the use of newspapers for wrapping food items.
No comments:
Post a Comment