The hazards of staple pin packaging

Staple pin packaging has a ubiquitous presence in Ladakh, especially in Leh. It is used by everyone from dry fruit vendors to self-help groups who sell different food items. This includes Khuras (deep fried savouries), local bread, and various home-baked snacks, cakes and cookies. These are available at grocery shops in every nook and corner of Leh town. In addition, if you buy apricots or dry fruits from any of the vendors in Leh, they will package them in plastic bags that are then stapled shut.

Such forms of packaging methods violate safety practices and they can become a potential hazard in our kitchens, especially for children. People in Ladakh often eat Khura with tea or any of the other products that they buy from the market. If it has not been opened carefully, the staple pins may get mixed with the edible items inside. If such a pin is swallowed, it can cause harmful medical conditions. Furthermore, swallowing a staple pin that has either one or both its sharp prongs prised open can be very harmful as the sharp ends can cut or cause abrasions in the digestive system and cause bleeding. It is very difficult to detect such small pins even through x-rays or CT scans.

It is thus very important to ensure that all kinds of retail units that sell food items in Ladakh, should be regulated. This can be done using the FSSAI accreditation or registration with either a basic registration or state licence. This means they will have to comply with regulations and guidelines under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2018 with due diligence before they sell anything to a consumer. There are multiple ways to package food items to preserve their quality while also protecting the consumer from harm. This would be one way of reducing the risk posed by unsafe packaging, which is currently very common in Ladakh. The ones who do not comply can then be booked under relevant laws to ensure that the consumer is safe.

By Er Konchok Ishey

Er. Konchok Ishey is Assistant Engineer in Ladakh Power Development Department, Leh.