Govt conducting study to find if plastic food packaging is harmful

The government is conducting a study to ascertain whether the use of plastic for packaging food has any harmful impact on human health, Union health minister JP Nadda told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The government is conducting a study to ascertain whether the use of plastic for packaging food has any harmful impact on human health, Union health minister JP Nadda told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Union health minister JP Nadda informed the Rajya Sabha that the government was studying if plastic food packaging had any harmful effects. (Arvind Yadav/HT File Photo)

He, however, said there is no harm if plastics are used as per the standards laid down by the regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI).

“There are various theories about it (plastic). We have not reached any conclusion. The study is still going on. If plastics are used within a level, then there is no danger,” Nadda said during the Question Hour.

There are different types of packaging — paper, tin, plastics and glass. Globally, 42% of packaging is done in plastics as they are temper-proof and there are less chances of adulteration, the minister said.

FSSAI has laid down 10 standards for use of plastics in packaging of food products. If the quality of plastic is as per the FSSAI standards, then there is no problem, Nadda said.

“If the quality of plastic is below the standards, then there is no problem,” he said.