THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking serious note of the low quality containers used to serve and distribute food, the State Food Safety Department has decided to check the quality of the containers. Express had reported on Sunday that paper containers used to serve food from restaurants are being made from imported paper waste.
Speaking to Express, Food Safety Commissioner Rathan U Kelkar said until now the department was focusing more on the quality of food and now it will also analyse the quality of containers. A study conducted by a city-based NGO Thanal had found paper plates and container lids made from imported paper waste from other countries have made their way into the food chain.
“The quality of the containers will be analysed in a lab to see if they are of food grade quality. If we identify these paper plates are not fit to be used, we will identify the brands involved in this and take action against them. A proper ground study needs to be carried out,” said Kelkar. Even while maintaining the containers never came into the purview of the enforcement wing, he said anything that was part of the food chain fell in the purview of the Food Safety and Securities Act.
“The containers are also part of the food chain. We have been focusing on raw materials, food quality and such. But not on the plates,” he said.The study led by V Nikhilesh Paliath, programme coordinator, Thanal, had found that paper waste imported from 25 countries is being reused as paper plates and food container covers in the state.
According to the study, paper waste was being imported under the guise of ‘material for recycling’ and was being used to manufacture food containers. The report was submitted to the Food Safety Commissioner on Tuesday. Kelkar said he will check with big distributors to identify the source of the paper plates.