In recent years, restaurant takeouts have witnessed significant growth. While this benefits food outlets and delivery partners, it has also led to an alarming rise in plastic waste from bags, plastic boxes and containers used for packaging food. Highlighting this issue, celebrity nutritionist and lifestyle expert Luke Coutinho recently called out food delivery giants Zomato and Swiggy, urging them to switch to biodegradable containers.
Taking to Instagram, Coutinho also highlighted the health risks associated with packing hot food in plastic containers, further explaining the need to bring about a change.
Earlier this month, the celebrity nutritionist shared a long post, mentioning Swiggy, Zomato, and other associated restaurants. “Please work with your partners to ensure food deliveries happen in biodegradable, non-plastic containers. Many restaurants do this already, please make it uniform. Deliver food and health…Hot food in plastic is making people sicker…You’ll have the power to help make a change,” his post read.
In his caption, Luke revealed the dangers of packing hot food into a plastic container. Stating that restaurants often cook orders on high heat and flame with refined oil, which destroys most ingredients and nutrients, he explained that immediate packing can retain immense heat and steam. As a result, the plastic is broken down into dangerous BPA and other toxins that harm the human body and affect hormones, fertility, and estrogens.
Mentioning Zomato and Swiggy alongside the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Coutinho added, “We need to move to biodegradable non-plastic asap for better health and a better earth. You’ll have the power to make this change and be part of a healthier India.”
His post garnered a lot of attention on social media, including the reaction from Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal. Acknowledging his concerns, Goyal wrote, “Thanks Luke for bringing this up. We will do what we can — will highlight restaurants which use food safe packaging, so customers can make a more conscious choice.” To this, Coutinho expressed his gratitude and even extended help from his end.
In the meantime, many others also supported his views and highlighted the need of the hour. A user wrote, “This actually needs to be enforced eventually, not just encouraged. But great that we have a start and atleast have set out with right intentions,” while another commented, “Love this post. Change needs to happen! Thanks for voicing it.”
Veteran actor Soni Razdan also reacted, “I thought those kind of containers were banned. Thanks for flagging this Luke I think we should all pressurise these companies no?”
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