FSSAI orders food businesses to stop using rusted cutting equipment after activist's campaign

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an advisory directing all food business operators to use only food-grade, corrosion-resistant knives and blades in food handling and processing. The order, dated June 15, came after a four-year campaign by Hyderabad-based food safety activist Anirudh Gupta.

The advisory states that the use of rusted, corroded, chipped, painted, damaged, inadequately cleaned or non-food-grade cutting equipment may result in physical, chemical and microbiological contamination of food. Such practices, it says, violate the sanitary and hygienic requirements under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.

Mr. Gupta began his campaign in 2022 after noticing widespread use of unsuitable food-contact equipment during visits to food industry exhibitions and manufacturing units. His concerns were informed by his family's association with the bread industry and his background in metallurgy.

He raised the issue of inferior-quality, rusted or recycled carbon steel blades used in bread-slicing machines, which could potentially contaminate food and release metal particles due to repeated regrinding. The problem, he said, extends beyond bakeries to restaurants and even star hotels. Even low levels of contamination over prolonged periods could have health consequences.

In October 2022, Mr. Gupta wrote to the FSSAI urging inspections of major bread manufacturers and fresh guidelines governing bread slicer blades. He said multiple representations between 2022 and 2025 yielded little response, as heads of the FSSAI kept changing and the issue was often deemed outside their purview.

The turning point came when he compiled years of correspondence, photographs, samples and documents into a 157-page book titled 'Aarambh'. He submitted this dossier to the Prime Minister's Office on December 31, 2025, and again on May 12 this year. The Prime Minister's Office forwarded the matter to the Ministries of Health and Consumer Affairs on May 21, leading to fresh action within the FSSAI.

Mr. Gupta described the June 15 advisory as only the first step. He noted that while small vendors may quickly replace unsafe equipment to retain customers, ensuring compliance among large companies remains a challenge. He expressed concern that some may find ways to circumvent the order.

The FSSAI's advisory applies to all food business operators, including bakeries, restaurants, and hotels. It emphasizes the need for cutting equipment that is resistant to corrosion and made of food-grade material to prevent contamination.