'Heated in Plastic?’ Vande Bharat Passenger Flags Food Safety Concern, IRCTC Responds

A passenger travelling on the Vande Bharat Express from Allahabad to Delhi has triggered a major debate on train food safety after questioning how rotis and kachoris were being heated and served onboard.

In a video now circulating widely on social media, the woman was seen confronting catering staff about food being heated inside sealed plastic packaging.

She asks directly, “So you heated this in the microwave?” The staff member responds, “Did you want it cold?”

She clarifies that temperature is not the issue. “No, I don’t want it cold. But the packet says store in a cool and dry place. There is no mention that it can be microwaved. You are serving this to everyone on the train. What’s the authorisation?”

“Public health issue alert”

In a detailed post on X, the passenger described similar experiences on both the Vande Bharat (Allahabad to Delhi) and Rajdhani Express (Delhi to Allahabad).

She wrote that on Rajdhani she ate a kachori quickly because she was hungry but later realised something felt off.

“The kachori was hot, but it was in a sealed packet. How was it heated? Was the entire packet microwaved?”

She pointed out that the “Halka Phulka” roti packet clearly mentions:

“Store in a cool and dry place.” There is no “microwave safe” label. No instruction that the product can be heated inside the packaging.

Yet, according to her, the packets were handed over visibly hot.

“The person in the train confirmed that rotis were being heated directly in the packet,” she wrote.

She raised a broader concern: food grade plastic is not automatically heat safe unless it is certified for microwave or steam heating. Heating multilayer packaging without clear instructions, she warned, could increase chemical migration into food, especially if done repeatedly at scale.

“This may be operational convenience,” she wrote. “But food safety should never rely on shortcuts.”

IRCTC responds

The post quickly drew attention and tagged IRCTC, the Ministry of Railways, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

IRCTC responded publicly: “Ma’am, our sincere apology for the inconvenience. Please DM your PNR and mobile number to enable us to address this.”

In a follow-up reply, it added, "Please share your PNR and mobile number to proceed with addressing your concerns. Your response will help us assist you promptly.”

The science behind her concern is not trivial. Certain plastics, when heated beyond recommended conditions, can release chemicals into food, and whether that is happening here depends entirely on the type of packaging used and whether it is certified for microwave use.

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