Roadside snacks come with a shade of ink

NINE years after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the use of newspapers for directly wrapping or serving food, vendors across Tiruchy continue the practice unabated.

- PEARSON LENEKAR SR @Tiruchy

From vadas and samosas to chicken pakoras, oily snacks are routinely served on printed sheets—a habit driven by affordability, convenience, and lax enforcement.

Despite FSSAI's warning that toxic ink chemicals can leach into hot or greasy food, tea stalls and bakeries across the city persist, with shopkeepers citing cost pressures. English dailies bought from scrap dealers at ₹25-30 per kg are cut into squares and used for up to 15 days.