FSSAI has issued an advisory to food businesses to stop incorporating gifts and toys inside food packages, as there are chances of contamination and risk of ingestion by kids.

The advisory stated that there was need to discourage such practices, and the FBOs (food business operators) should refrain from adding toys, resembling the texture, colour and nature of the food.

In the advisory, Shobhit Jain, executive director, compliance division, FSSAI, stated, “Considering safety of public at large, there is a need to discourage food businesses from providing any toy or gift items inside food packages, especially in the case of food which is likely to be ingested directly by an infant or a small child.”

He added that such promotional free toys or gift items may be provided separately or packed separately.

“Further it is desired that the colour, texture and nature of the toy or gift item should not at all resemble the food product inside the food package,” Jain said.

The commissioners of food safety of all the states were requested to make efforts for generating awareness amongst the stakeholders to discourage such practices of packing toys with food products.

According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, unsafe food means an article of food whose nature, substance or quality is so affected as to render it injurious to health by virtue of being misbranded or sub-standard or food containing extraneous matter.