As Diwali approaches, India’s festive gifting tradition faces underappreciated food safety challenges, from adulterated sweets to non-food-grade packaging that can compromise health, according to food safety experts.
Annual regulatory seizures reveal persistent issues with artificial colors in sweets, substandard dairy products, and harmful chemical leaching from decorative boxes. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) reports that foodborne illnesses spike during festival months, primarily due to poor hygiene and improper storage during large-scale production.
Common Festive Mistakes
Manish Jain, Founder and Managing Director of Cilicant Pvt. Ltd., a food safety and packaging technology company, identifies critical errors consumers make during festive gifting.
“Exchanging sweets, dry fruits and snacks is a cherished tradition during festive seasons. Some common mistakes while gifting food items include using non-food grade packaging, overlooking expiry dates, storing edible items in warm or humid conditions and improper handling like touching food without gloves while packaging,” Jain explains.
These “seemingly small oversights can compromise product safety and product quality,” particularly in tier II and tier III cities where awareness remains limited.
Identifying Safe Products
Consumers should prioritize label verification before purchasing. “Consumers should look for FSSAI logo and license number to ensure compliance. Check the expiry dates, storage instructions and ingredients list carefully to make sure that the product is free from non-permitted additives,” Jain advises.
Food-grade packaging identification is crucial: “Consumers can identify this by checking the material label. The triangular recycling symbol with a number in it helps identify the type of plastic used and whether it is recyclable or not. Batch numbers and helpline information also helps with traceability of the product to the source if required.”
Storage and Preservation
Jain highlights oxidation as a primary concern: “Sweets that contain ghee, milk or nuts have natural fats in them. One of the biggest challenges with packaged sweets that are higher in fat content is that these fats tend to oxidize when they react with environmental oxygen and over time turn rancid. This affects not just the taste and aroma but also shortens the shelf life of the product.”
His company recommends oxygen absorbers within sealed packaging: “These small sachets of oxygen scavengers, when placed within the container containing sweets or nuts, remove the residual oxygen inside the pack and prevents oxidation. This way, the product can be kept fresh for longer on shelf without any preservatives.”
Packaging Beyond Presentation
“Packaging plays a very important role in food safety and keeping them fresh. The right packaging can control the internal environment, protecting the food from moisture, oxygen and microbial exposure and reduce spoilage,” Jain states.
He emphasizes modern preservation methods work best “when paired with active packaging like oxygen scavengers and desiccants which help in extending the shelf life of the product without the use of preservatives.”
Homemade Gift Hygiene
For home preparation, Jain stresses proper practices: “For homemade sweets and snacks, hygiene and handling practices make all the difference. Food should be prepared in a clean, dry space using sanitized utensils. Using airtight, food-grade containers is advisable. Avoid using decorative or metallic wrappers that are not meant for direct food contact.”
Hidden Hazards
Decorative packaging poses overlooked risks. “A common safety concern often overlooked during any festive season is the use of decorative, non-food grade boxes or foils. Many of these materials are often not certified for direct food contact and can leach harmful substances in humid conditions. It is important that manufacturers and consumers verify that the containers are food safe,” Jain cautions.
Metal-coated boxes and glittery paper may contain chemical dyes or metallic residues that contaminate food, especially in humid climates.
Industry Evolution
Consumer preferences are driving change. “The food habits of the consumers are becoming healthier. Consumers are also paying more attention to the ingredients and are preferring preservative free products. This is leading the food manufacturing and packaging industry to focus more on using better ingredients, cleaner packaging and opt for preservatives free approach to enhance shelf life,” Jain notes.
FSSAI encourages transparency regarding packaging materials, batch traceability, and food-grade certifications, aligning with global clean-label trends and sustainable packaging preferences.
