## Policy Summary: Impact of Hot Food Delivery via Food Apps
This document summarizes the Indian government's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2290, regarding the potential adverse health impacts of hot food delivery in plastic containers via online food delivery apps.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in response to the query, stated that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not conducted specific studies to ascertain the adverse impacts of hot meals delivered in plastic containers.
However, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food. The FSSAI achieves this through:
* **Food Safety and Standards Packaging Regulations, 2018:** These regulations mandate that all materials in direct contact with food during packaging, preparation, storage, transportation, sale, or service must be of food-grade quality. Food business operators (FBOs) must obtain a certificate of conformity from a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited laboratory for their packaging material.
* **General Hygienic and Sanitary Practices:** FSSAI specifies these practices, which are outlined in Schedule 4 of the FSS Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses Regulations, 2011, and applicable to catering services.
* **E-commerce FBO Regulations:** FSSAI has established procedures for licensing and registering e-commerce business operators. These operators are responsible for ensuring all listed sellers are licensed/registered, maintain hygiene standards, provide mandatory food information, avoid misleading claims, and delist non-compliant products.
To ensure compliance, FSSAI, through central and state machinery, conducts regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection, and random sampling of food products, including those sold online. Non-conformities are addressed according to the FSS Act and its associated Rules and Regulations, including improvement notices, suspension of operations, and penalties.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for health policy in India.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question about the impact of hot food delivery was raised.
Shri Anil Baluni: Member of Parliament who raised the question about the adverse impact of hot food delivered by food apps.
Shri Prataprao Jadhav: The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare who provided the answer to the question.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR): An organization that was consulted regarding studies on the impact of hot food delivery.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): The authority responsible for laying down science-based standards for food articles and regulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import.
Food Safety and Standards Packaging Regulations, 2018: Regulations mandating food grade quality for materials in direct contact with food during packaging, preparation, storing, wrapping, transportation, and sale.
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL): Accreditation body for laboratories that provide certificate of conformity for packaging material.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2290
TOBE ANSWERED ON1ST AUGUST,2025
ADVERSE IMPACT ON HEALTH OFHOT FOOD DELIVERED BYFOOD APPS
†2290.SHRIANILBALUNI:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether a study or a survey has been conducted to ascertain the adverse impact of hot
meal delivered to the consumers in plastic containers through the online food delivery apps
and if so, the details thereof; and
(b) whether any guidelines have been issued relating to food delivery service through such
apps in view of the safety health norms and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) & (b): The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed that such study has
not beenconducted.
FoodSafety andStandardsAuthority of India (FSSAI)’smandateistolaydown science
-based standards for articles of food and regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale,
and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. Food
Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, mandates that any material which comes
in direct contact with food or is likely to come in contact with food used for packaging,
preparation, storing, wrapping, transportation and sale or service of food shall be of food grade
quality. Every food business operator shall obtain the certificate of conformity issued by the
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), accredited
laboratory for the packaging material. FSSAI has also specified General Hygienic and Sanitary
Practices to be followed by Licensed/Registered Food Business Operators (FBOs) under
Schedule 4 of FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. This is
also applicableto food businesses involved incatering services. FSSAI hasspecified procedures
for the licensing and registration of e-commerce business operators along with their
responsibilities. Accordingly, E-commerce FBOs are required inter alia, to ensure that all listed
sellers are licensed/registered, maintainhygiene standards, provide mandatoryfood information,
avoidmisleadingclaims anddelist non-compliantproducts.
To ensure compliance, FSSAI, through the Central and the State machinery, undertakes
regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection, and random sampling of food products, including
those sold online through E-commerce platformsthroughout the year. In case of non-conformity
found, measures are taken as per FSS Act and Rules & Regulations made thereunder, including
issuance of improvementnotices, suspension of operations, penaltiesetc.
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