Last week, the FSSAI issued a directive to food vendors to not sell food items wrapped in a newspaper. The reason is: the printing ink deployed for newspapers could contain materials like lead and heavy metal. And this can contaminate food and lead to health issues when ingested.

As per a PTI report, FSSAI's chief executive officer, G Kamala Vardhana Rao " urged consumers and food vendors across the country to immediately stop using newspapers for packing, serving, and storing food items."

According to FSSAI, the printing ink contains " bioactive materials" that can be harmful to health. Rao said, "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."

The report reads that the ink may have chemicals such as lead and heavy metals that can enter the human body through the food served or wrapped in newspaper. FSSAI has cautioned, "Newspapers are often subjected to various environmental conditions during distribution, making them susceptible to contamination by bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that may transfer to the food, potentially causing foodborne illnesses."

Meanwhile on 25 September, G Kamala Vardhana Rao had also chaired a meeting with various manufacturers of sweets to emphasize compliance during the festive season, sensitizing them on the importance of testing for product quality and safety, as well as traceability of raw materials.