Overview

• A viral Instagram video by food blogger Harry Uppal shows a Ludhiana vendor dipping sealed oil sachets into a kadhai so the heat melts the plastic and releases the oil directly into the pan
• Health coach Shashi Iyengar and dermatologist THE SKIN DOCTOR amplified the clip on X, warning that dioxins, phthalates, BPA and styrene could leach into the pakoras
• Social media users have branded the snack “microplastic pakode” and condemned the practice as unhygienic, while the vendor defends it as a cost-saving hack to keep prices at ₹10
• The incident has highlighted reliance on low-cost, single-use plastic packaging among street-food vendors and inconsistent enforcement of FSSAI hygiene standards
• Online outrage is driving petitions and direct appeals to FSSAI and local municipal health authorities to conduct on-site inspections and enforce licensing rules