Mumbai's iconic vada pav stalls have come under the spotlight as food safety authorities carry out inspections across the city to enforce rules against serving food in newspapers and other recycled printed materials.
Officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and local food safety departments recently inspected restaurants, street food stalls, and vada pav vendors in different parts of Mumbai. The inspections were conducted to make sure of compliance with safety regulations that ban newspapers, magazines, and other printed materials for wrapping, packaging, storing, or serving food.
During the inspections, officials visited several food vendors. Vendors found using newspapers were warned and instructed to switch to safer materials such as butter paper, food-grade paper, and other approved packaging options. They informed food business operators about approved alternatives that can be used for packaging and serving food.
The use of newspapers to wrap street food has been common in Mumbai for many years. Vendors selling popular snacks such as vada pav and bhajiyas rely on recycled newspaper sheets because they are inexpensive and easily available.
Interestingly, the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, specifically prohibit the use of newspapers and other printed materials for storing, wrapping, packaging, or serving food. Authorities noted that advisories on the issue have also been issued in the past.
The regulations apply to a wide range of food businesses. These include street food vendors, restaurants, quick service restaurants (QSRs), hawkers, petty shopkeepers, mobile food vendors, and other food enterprises.
In a recent video shared by FSSAI on X, the authority warned that using newspapers for food may appear harmless but can leave harmful substances present in printing ink. Authorities stated that long-term exposure to such compounds may lead to health risks.
Some vendors expressed concerns about packaging expenses. But officials said safer packaging materials are readily available and should be used to ensure public safety. Officials also warned that repeated violations could lead to penalties under food safety laws.