A post on X from a Supreme Court lawyer has landed Indian Railways and IRCTC in fresh trouble. The passenger has ignited an online debate about railway food safety after she raised concerns over food safety based on her experience while traveling between Prayagraj and Delhi on Vande Bharat Express . 

Avani Bansal – who is a lawyer at the Supreme Court – posted a video on X of her interaction with a railway official over rotis and kachoris that were being served piping hot in trains while still sealed inside plastic packaging. 

In the clip, Bansal is also seen asking train staff whether he microwaved the plastic packet directly (without taking food out if it) to which the staffer confirmed that the food was indeed heated without opening the packaging. 

Notably, Bansal has also presented the entire photograph of the “Halka Phulka roti packet” that was served to her. As visible from her photograph, the feature of ‘microwave safety’ is mentioned nowhere in the packaging details of the much eaten railway snack.

ALSO READ

As per details written on the packet, the “Halka Phulka” roti packet only mentioned storage in a cool, dry place and carried no instructions about microwave or in-pack heating.

According to Bansal, this confirmation from the railway staff prompted several concerns that food being heated inside plastic packaging can lead to chemical migration and pose several health hazards. 

Bansal’s four big questions for IRCTC and Vaishnaw

Originally posted on February 18, Bansal’s post has attracted much traction from netizens speculating the ‘safety standard’ of food served in the Indian railways. In her post Bansal has asked Indian railways as well as the railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to take accountability of the incident and issue a clarification.

Bansal has asked both the railways department and Ashwini Vaishnaw three big questions in her post that she has asked for to be cleared on a public forum. Bansal’s four big questions for Indian railways and Vaishnaw have been listed below:

Q1: Are these institutional packs certified for in-pack heating?

Q2: If so, can that certification be publicly shared?

Q3: Is this happening on all trains? 

Q4: Who has authorised this? 

Indian Railways respond

Following much traction on her post, IRCTC recently issued a response to Bansal’s claims that did not directly answer any of the questions raised by her. The response issued by the Indian Railways has been posted below: 

“Ma’am, the packaging is suitable for service as per prevalent temperature standards in trains. The packaging is unharmful from a health point of view and food is safe for consumption,” Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) wrote on X. 

ALSO READ

Almost immediately after receiving a response from the Railways, Bansal shot back with a pointed question: “So you are saying that these packets are microwaveable?”

The Railways catering arm responded to Bansal’s further line of questioning by asking her to share her PNR and mobile number so the matter could be examined further.

Bansal takes down IRCTRC’s ‘cryptic’ response 

Following IRCTC’s request to share her PNR number, Bansal responded by saying that while she appreciates the quick response from IRCTRC, she does not understand why the Railways cannot issue a public clarification and is instead asking for her PNR number. 

“Sorry, don’t understand why is my PNR needed – kindly explain the reason. Doesn’t this affect the issue of lakhs of people who have been eating this on trains? Why wouldn’t you issue clarification,” she wrote on X.

The post quickly drew widespread reactions. Many travelers said the issue raised valid questions about hygiene and packaging standards on premium trains. 

One user wrote, “If sealed food packs are being heated directly, the packaging must be specifically certified for in pack heating with proper migration testing. Several users also pointed to a recycling symbol on the packet, a triangle with the number 7 inside, and asked Grok to explain its meaning.

The AI tool replied, “The triangle arrow with a 7 is the Resin Identification Code for ‘Other’ plastics (like polycarbonate or bioplastics). It identifies the material for recycling, not food safety or microwave use. #7 plastics vary; some may be food-safe if labeled, but they’re not inherently microwaveable—heating can cause chemical leaching.

Indian Railways has not issued any fresh statement on the matter as of now. The story will be updated as and when a clarification is issued.