Mumbai food vendors continue using newspapers despite FDA crackdown

Almost two months after the Food and Drug Administration FDA started cracking down on food establishments for using newspapers to wrap and pack food the practice continues unabated across the city From vada pav stalls and farsan shops to small eateries and restaurants vendors can still be seen using newspapers to pack hot and oily food for customersThe FDA inspected 55 food establishments and fined 26 for violating norms related to the use of newspapers for food packaging However locals say the inspections have failed to bring about any visible change on the groundldquoI see vendors using newspapers every day especially for vada pav bhajiyas and farsan If raids were conducted and fines were imposed why has the practice not stoppedrdquo said P Deshpande a Borivli residentAn employee of the Aram vada pav shop in Fort shows how food is packaged in butter paper PICRITIKA GONDHALEKARThane resident Varsha Mulye called for regular monitoring and strict action against repeat offenders ldquoAuthorities conduct inspections and there is a fine but after a few days everything is back to normalThis is also because these bad practices are so rooted in the system that people have become quite used to such things Efforts also need to be taken to change peoplersquos mindsetrdquo she saidlsquoNot feasible financiallyrsquoVendors claim switching to alternatives such as butter paper is expensive and difficult for small businesses operating on thin margins ldquoNewspaper is easily available and costs almost nothing Butter paper is much more expensive and if we use it for every order our costs will increase significantly If using newspaper is so harmful why canrsquot the government provide butter paper to us at cheaper rates We will happily make the switchrdquo said Mamta Todankar who runs a vada pav and bhajji stall in Dadar WestCost differenceA vada pav vendor packs a snack in newspaper in Thane West PICSayyed Sameer AbediRaju Singh who works as a manager in a famous farsan outlet told midday ldquoA sheet of butter paper costs Rs 10 to Rs 15 With that sheet we can pack a maximum of one kg of farsan One kg of newspaper comprising at least 25 editions from a raddiwala costs between Rs 13 and Rs 16 and we can pack one kg of farsan in just a half page Thus an expense which matters even to a big outlet like ours will definitely put a huge hole in the pockets of smaller vendorsrdquoCompliance aram seKaustubh Tambe owner of the Aram vada pav shop said his establishment uses green paper manufactured by ITC ldquoFirst we wrap parcels in this particular paper and then place it in a paper or reusable plastic bag This way our food never touches hazardous paper Of course the cost is higher The paper comes in three sizes The smallest to pack one vada pav medium to wrap two and the biggest to wrap up to six The smallest sheet costs us Rs 15 Some proportion of cost is thus pushed to the customers But in the end they are paying that tiny bit extra to safeguard their healthrdquoAuthoritiesrsquo responseStating that change is happening slowly FDA Joint Commissioner PS Singarwar said ldquoItrsquos a big city and we are a very small team We donrsquot have sufficient manpower to conduct hundreds of inspections daily But we are doing our best to ensure change comes in This is not something that can be improved overnight Now that we have stronger leadership we are at least able to crack the whip on violators Regarding newspaper usage the fines start from Rs 25000 As far as those who have already been inspected followup checks showed they have switched to butter paper So change is definitely happening A complete washout however will take some timerdquoMedical experts weigh inDr Preetam Jain medical and paediatric hematooncologist Saifee Hospital MumbailsquoThe main issue is the substances in the ink which can come in contact with eatables This makes the food unsafe to eat Some such chemicals can damage the cells and DNA inside them If someone is exposed to them often it can increase the chance of getting cancerHowever just because someone eats food wrapped in a newspaper once it does not mean they will get cancer as onetime exposure is not enough to cause it Foodgrade paper packaging and proper containers are much better for keeping food safersquoDr Amit Maydeo chairman Institute of Gastrosciences Sir HN Reliance Foundation HospitallsquoPrinting inks can contain chemicals pigments and depending on the material traces of heavy metals and other substances that may migrate into food Repeated exposure to such contaminants is certainly something we should avoid From a gastrointestinal perspective the more immediate concern can also be contaminationNewspapers pass through multiple hands and surfaces and are not manufactured or stored as foodgrade materials Bacteria viruses and other pathogens can contaminate the paper and subsequently the food If the food is already cooked and then contaminated this can potentially result in foodborne illness with symptoms such as abdominal cramps nausea vomiting and diarrhoeaThere is also a common misconception that the stomach will simply neutralise everything that enters it The gastrointestinal tract is remarkably resilient but it is not designed to repeatedly handle chemicals or contaminants that have no place in our food chainrsquopopcorn numberRs 25000 descMinimum fine for using newspaper to wrap food classDefaultpopcorn number26 descNo of shops fined for using newspapers to pack food classDefault