Overview
- FSSAI renewed its public warning after enforcement action against a popular vada pav vendor in Mumbai and directed all food businesses to stop using newspapers for packing, serving, or storing food.
- Experts and the regulator say printing inks contain heavy metals, solvents, dyes and mineral oils that can migrate into food when heat and fats act as solvents.
- Officials and infection‑control specialists warn newspapers also pick up bacteria and viruses through handling and transit, creating an added risk of foodborne illness.
- FSSAI and health experts recommend certified food‑grade butter paper, food‑contact cardboard, bagasse containers, and clean banana or sal leaves while cautioning that recycled paper can be more hazardous.
- Local inspections have already led to seizures of newspapers used for food packaging and officials say wider compliance will require addressing cost, supply and vendor awareness to make alternatives practical.