Food-safety norms flouted with impunity

Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 24

Throwing food safety norms to the wind, several sweetmeat shops and restaurants in the city are using plastic bags or wraps to warm up food items.

These food items are served piping hot to ignorant customers who seldom question the sellers about the health hazards of eating food microwaved in plastic wraps. Instead of microwave-safe containers, sellers use whatever comes in handy – plastic containers, transparent plastic wraps or small bags. Their only concern is that the snacks they serve should be sufficiently warmed up to please the palates of customers.

“I went to a sweetmeat shop in Aggar Nagar area to buy some snacks. I was shocked to see that they used small plastic bags to warm up gulab jamun in microwave. When I questioned the owner, he was evasive. The excuse was that their stock of microwave-safe containers was finished and they were yet to buy new ones,” said Sheilja, a homemaker.

According to experts, when plastic bags or wraps are used for heating food in microwave, chemicals like BPA, phthalates can leach into the food. The World Health Organisation SEARO (South East Asian Regional Office), while cautioning about food safety, states that while warming up food in microwave, one should only use the cookware that is microwave-safe. Many plastics, that are not microwave-safe, can dissolve or leach chemicals into food.

“When food is heated in plastic bags or wraps, chemicals from plastic wrap may seep into the food that turns potentially carcinogenic. It is best to avoid such food,” said Indian Medical Association (IMA), Ludhiana president, Dr Kulwant Singh.

District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Abinash Kumar said he was not aware of the issue. “You have brought it to our notice. We will educate the restaurant and sweetmeat shop owners about it,” he said.