FSSAI Issues Fresh Warning Against Newspaper Food Packaging After Mumbai Crackdown

Add as a preferred source on Google

It was a vada pav stall in Mumbai that set off a nationwide alert.

After a popular vendor was found bundling food in newspapers, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Western Region and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched a joint action against the seller and issued a long-overdue reminder. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has urged food vendors and establishments across the country to stop using newspapers for wrapping or serving food, citing serious health risks associated with the practice.

Photo Credit: Canva

The habit is old, widespread, and deeply embedded in how street food is served across India - from pakoras handed over in crumpled broadsheets to bhelpuri scooped into cones made from yesterday's classifieds. The advisory applies to all food businesses, including street vendors, restaurants, cloud kitchens, caterers, quick service restaurants, hawkers and mobile food vendors, which have been directed to use only safe and food-grade packaging materials.

What's Actually In That Ink

Photo Credit: Canva

The concern is not just aesthetic. Experts say the main concern is the printing ink used on newspapers. This ink contains a mix of chemicals, including heavy metals like lead, cadmium and chromium, along with mineral oils, phthalates and artificial dyes, which can contaminate food and pose health risks.

The problem intensifies with temperature. When hot or greasy food comes into contact with the print, these toxins leach directly into the meal. A piece of fried chicken or a serving of hot pav bhaji wrapped in newsprint is essentially drawing contaminants out of the ink with every degree of heat.

"Printing inks used in newspapers contain harmful chemicals, pigments, binders and heavy metals, including lead, which can leach into food when it comes into contact with hot or oily items." - FSSAI, official advisory

Not Just Chemicals - Germs Too

Beyond the ink, newspapers are frequently exposed to dust and unsanitary conditions during printing and distribution, increasing the risk of contamination. According to the regulator, newspapers are not allowed to store, wrap, or serve food under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018.

In other words, this isn't a new rule. It has existed for years. What's new is the enforcement, and the very public reminder that ignorance of the regulation is not a defence.

What Vendors Should Use Instead

Photo Credit: Magnific

Food-grade alternatives exist and are accessible. Butter paper, parchment paper, aluminium foil containers, and food-safe kraft paper are all compliant options. Banana leaves, a time-honoured packaging material in South Indian cuisine, remain perfectly appropriate. FSSAI urged consumers to remain vigilant and avoid consuming food served or wrapped in newspapers.

FSSAI and state authorities are continuing surveillance and enforcement under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, while also promoting safe and sustainable packaging solutions in the food sector.

Bottomline

The newspaper wrap has been a fixture of Indian street food culture for generations - practical, cheap, and entirely normalised. But normalised is not the same as safe. The FSSAI's position is clear: foods contaminated by newspaper ink raise serious health concerns since the ink contains multiple bioactive materials with known negative health effects. The next time a vendor reaches for a page of the morning paper to wrap your snack, it is worth knowing, and worth refusing.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.