Why Has FSSAI Ordered Food Businesses To Replace Rusty Knives? Know the New Food Safety Guidelines

New Delhi, June 18: India’s top food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has ordered a nationwide crackdown on the use of degraded cutting tools in commercial kitchens and processing units. In an advisory issued to all food business operators, the authority mandated the immediate replacement of all rusted, corroded, chipped, or painted knives and blades to prevent widespread risks of food contamination. Non-compliance with the new directive will attract strict regulatory action under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.

Risks of Contamination

The safety directive follows multiple field reports and inspections revealing that various food establishments continue to use deteriorated cutting tools during food preparation, slicing, and packaging. According to the FSSAI, utilizing damaged or non-food-grade instruments introduces significant physical, chemical, and microbiological hazards to consumer meals.

FSSAI Orders Immediate Removal of Rusty Knives From Food Businesses

Food safety experts warn that corroded or chipped blades can shed microscopic metal particles directly into food items. Furthermore, the pitted and cracked surfaces of rusty knives serve as structural breeding grounds for harmful bacteria and microorganisms that routine washing cannot easily eliminate, severely raising the risk of foodborne illnesses. FSSAI Bans Metallic Pins and Wires in Food Packaging Immediately Over Consumer Safety Risks.

Guidelines Set for Food Operators

To eliminate these vulnerabilities, the FSSAI has outlined precise operational requirements that businesses must adopt immediately:

• Material Compliance: All cutting tools, blades, and food-contact equipment must be constructed strictly from certified food-grade, non-toxic, and corrosion-resistant materials.

• Defect Free Standards: Kitchen instruments must remain entirely free of structural cracks, paint coatings, rust, or edge chipping.

• Mandatory Replacement: Any worn, damaged, or degrading cutting equipment must be permanently retired from service and replaced immediately.

• Sanitisation Protocols: Establishments must implement strict, documented cleaning, sanitisation, and sterilisation schedules for all processing tools at prescribed operational intervals.

Strict Inspection and Legal Backup

The newly issued directive reinforces the foundational hygiene and sanitary requirements already established under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. While these rules legally existed, the FSSAI noted persistent compliance gaps across the hospitality and retail food sectors that necessitated a direct national warning. Why Are Newspapers Unsafe for Food? FSSAI Reveals Health Risks Behind a Common Practice, Orders Immediate Stop.

State Food Safety Commissioners and FSSAI Regional Directors have been instructed to deploy local food safety officers for aggressive on-site inspections. Moving forward, licensing authorities will maintain strict vigilance over the physical state of kitchen utilities, with legal penalties and potential operational shutdowns awaiting businesses that fail to adhere to the mandate.