‘Stop Wrapping Food in Newspapers’, Warns FSSAI: What Are the Health Risks?

Wrapping and storing food in newspapers can lead to significant health risks, says FSSAI CEO.

Representational image only.

(Photo: iStock/altered by FIT)

Consumers and vendors have been asked to stop using newspapers to wrap and store food items by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) G Kamala Vardhana Rao.

Reitterating the health risks associated with consuming food wrapped in newspapers, Rao said, "Printing inks may contain chemicals including lead and heavy metals that can leach into the food, posing serious health risks over time."

How can food wrapped in newspapers impact your health? Here are three points to know.

Why you should care: Newspapers have long since been go-to packaging for street food and snacks across India. They're cheap and abundantly available. However, experts warn that the ink used in newspapers can easily bleed into the food and become toxic.

"The ink used in newspapers contains various bioactive materials with known negative health effects, which can contaminate food and lead to health issues when ingested."

G Kamala Vardhana Rao, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

FSSAI has warned about this in the past as well.

"Printing inks may also contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives, and preservatives. Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic micro organisms in used newspapers also poses potential risk to human health,” said an advisory released by FSSAI in 2017.

The health risks associated with ingesting food contaminated with printing ink can be varied and non-descript.

According to an advisory released by the FSSAI in 2019, health issues associated with long-term exposure include,

• Digestive problems

• Symptoms of severe toxicity such as seizures, hyperthermia, hypotension

Another recent study published in 2021 also linked chemicals found in printing ink to,

• Cardiovascular diseases

• Kidney diseases

• Various cancers including leukemia

• Liver failure

• Lung damages

• Weak bones

Action taken: In 2016, the FSSAI strictly prohibited the use of newspapers or similar materials for storing and wrapping food.

Again in 2018, the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations reiterated the prohibition, specifically warning against using newspapers to wrap oily food, and absorb excess oil.

Despite the regulation, they have observed that the practice still continues.