Lunch packets and newspapers

26 July 2011 01:40 pm Views - 7327

By Olindhi Jayasundere

The Colombo Municipal Council said today that people should refrain from eating lunch packets wrapped in newspapers as the lead component in the printed paper can have harmful effects on a person’s health.

“The lead in the newspaper absorbs into the lunch packet and gradually in time gets into the body. This could have neurological effects on a person’s health,” CMC Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said.

During an awareness programme conducted for 105 lunch packet sellers in Colombo Dr. Kariyawasam said sellers were advised to get hygiene certification from their respective area Medical Officer of Health and to attach a seal on the lunch packets to identify each seller.

He said they will also undergo training to on preparing food in hygiene conditions. “We have found that 1/3 of the lunch packets sold by sellers have already gone bad by 12 noon. The aim of this programme is to ensure hygienic that lunch his prepared and sold in hygienic conditions,” he said.

He said it is mandatory for lunch sellers to place the name of the producer as well as the time and manufactory date of the lunch packets. If these conditions are not adhered to their registrations will be canceled and they will face court action, he said.