The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a new directive requiring restaurants, food processors, and other food establishments to immediately stop using rusted, corroded, chipped, or damaged knives, blades, and cutting equipment. This advisory, released on Monday, follows reports of such tools being used in food handling, raising serious concerns about contamination risks and hygiene standards.
Reasons for the Advisory
According to FSSAI, some food business operators have been using unsuitable cutting equipment, including rusted, corroded, chipped, or painted knives and blades, during food preparation, processing, cutting, slicing, and packaging. Such equipment can lead to physical, chemical, and microbiological contamination of food, posing health risks to consumers.
Compliance Requirements
Food businesses are now directed to use only food-grade, corrosion-resistant cutting equipment. Damaged tools must be replaced immediately, and regular cleaning, sanitisation, and sterilisation procedures should be implemented wherever applicable. The regulator cited provisions under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, which mandate that food-contact equipment and utensils be made of food-grade, non-toxic, and corrosion-resistant materials and maintained in hygienic condition. Regular cleaning and disinfection are also mandatory under these regulations.
Expert Insights
Food safety experts warn that corroded cutting tools can harbour bacteria and may shed metal particles into food during preparation and processing, increasing the risk of contamination. This advisory comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of food-contact equipment and hygiene practices in food establishments across the country.
Enforcement and Background
The advisory has been circulated to food safety commissioners in all states and union territories, as well as FSSAI's regional offices, for enforcement. It follows a recent directive from the regulator advising food businesses to discontinue the use of staple pins in food packaging over concerns that accidental ingestion could cause injuries to consumers. This latest move underscores FSSAI's commitment to ensuring food safety and hygiene standards in India.
