The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has issued a strong rebuttal to allegations of reusing disposable food containers in trains made by the Indian National Congress. The Congress party on X had posted a video from NDTV India showing a man washing disposable aluminium foil containers (casseroles) in a train and stacking them.
Congress wrote in the post addressing Railway Minister, โthis video is of the Amrit Bharat Express (16601) – where dirty disposable food containers are being washed and kept to serve food again. Full fare is charged from the public on tickets, but on the other hand, this cheap stunt. You should feel ashamed.โ
เคฐเฅเคฒ เคฎเคเคคเฅเคฐเฅ เคเฅ, เคฏเคนเฅ เคนเฅ เคเคชเคเฅ เคธเฅเคตเคฟเคงเคพ
เคฏเฅ เคตเฅเคกเคฟเคฏเฅ เค เคฎเฅเคค เคญเคพเคฐเคค เคเคเฅเคธเคชเฅเคฐเฅเคธ (16601) เคเคพ เคนเฅ- เคเคนเคพเค เคเคเคฆเฅ เคกเคฟเคธเฅเคชเฅเคเฅเคฌเคฒ เคซเฅเคก เคเคเคเฅเคจเคฐเฅเคธ เคเฅ เคงเฅเคเคฐ เคฆเฅเคฌเคพเคฐเคพ เคเคพเคจเคพ เคฆเฅเคจเฅ เคเฅ เคฒเคฟเค เคฐเคเคพ เคเคพ เคฐเคนเคพ เคนเฅเฅค
เคเคจเคคเคพ เคธเฅ เคเคฟเคเค เคชเคฐ เคซเฅเคฒ เคตเคธเฅเคฒเฅ เคเฅ เคเคพเคคเฅ เคนเฅ, เคฒเฅเคเคฟเคจ เคฆเฅเคธเคฐเฅ เคเคฐ เคฏเฅ เคเคเคฟเคฏเคพ เคนเคฐเคเคคเฅค
เคถเคฐเฅเคฎ เคเคจเฅ เคเคพเคนเคฟเคเฅค pic.twitter.com/xePX8CKc7O— Congress (@INCIndia) October 19, 2025
Responding to the allegations, IRCTC clarified that an immediate investigation was conducted following the circulation of the video. The corporation categorically denied the allegations, stating that the containers in question were single-use foil trays. As per IRCTC, the probe found that a vendor was washing the containers of unsold food packets to sale them as scraps. They clarified that the containers were not being washed to pack food in them, as alleged by the Congress party. IRCTC added that the vendor did it without the knowledge of Railway officials.
IRCTC emphasized that no food safety violations occurred, as all meals served onboard are freshly prepared at authorized base kitchens adhering to stringent hygiene standards. The statement was accompanied by official letters from the trainโs staff and Express Food Services, the catering partner. The letters clarified that the incident was isolated and involved unauthorized handling of used containers by a vendor, not a systemic practice of reusing them for food service.
เคเคธ เคตเฅเคกเคฟเคฏเฅ เคเฅ เคคเฅเคฐเคเคค เคเคพเคเค เคเฅ เคเค
เคเฅเคธเคฐเฅเคฒ เคเคพ เคเคชเคฏเฅเค เคเฅเคตเคฒ เคเค เคฌเคพเคฐ เคเคฟเคฏเคพ เคนเฅ, เคจ เคเคฟ เคฆเฅเคฌเคพเคฐเคพ เคเคพเคจเคชเคพเคจ เคฏเคพ เคเคชเคญเฅเค เคนเฅเคคเฅเฅค เคเคธเฅ clean เคเคฐ เคกเคฟเคธเฅเคชเฅเค เคเคฟเคฏเคพ เคเคพ เคฐเคนเคพ เคนเฅเฅค เคเคธ เคธเคเคฌเคเคง เคฎเฅเค เคเฅ เคเค เคคเคฅเฅเคฏเคพเคคเฅเคฎเค เคเคพเคเค เคธเฅ เคฏเคน เคธเฅเคชเคทเฅเค เคฐเฅเคช เคธเฅ เคธเคฟเคฆเฅเคง เคนเฅเคคเคพ เคนเฅเฅค
เคเคพเคจเคชเคพเคจ เคเฅ เคฒเคฟเค เคเฅเคธเคฐเฅเคฒ เคเคพ เคฆเฅเคฌเคพเคฐเคพ เคเคชเคฏเฅเค เคเฅเคธเฅ เคญเฅเคฐเคพเคฎเค เคเคผเคฌเคฐเฅเค เคจเคพ เคซเฅเคฒเคพเคเค เฅคโฆ https://t.co/WWx6NFnwSA pic.twitter.com/ITHFn3M6lh— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) October 19, 2025
The handwritten note submitted by the manager of the train no 16601 stated, โThe vendor who was washing the casserole was washing both the casserole and the cardboard for sale. We had purchased packaged food from Jabalpur, which is always fresh. Our food comes in new casseroles from our company. We do not serve food in used casseroles. There is no fault of the company or the manager in this.โ
Express Food Services also stated that โone of the vendors had collected and cleaned unsold food packets along with empty bottles and packing cartons with the intention of selling them as scrap for minor monetary gain.โ They added that the vendor has stated that scrap collectors (“garbage vendors”) usually approach at different stations and that he had gathered these discarded items to hand them over to them.
The company added that this was an isolated incident and that no used or unsold food was ever served to passengers. โAll meals supplied on board are freshly prepared and sourced from IRCTC-authorized en-route base kitchens in accordance with prescribed food safety and hygiene standards,โ they added. They requested, โWe sincerely request that the viral post may kindly be treated as false and misleading, as it does not reflect the actual practices or policies of Express Food Servicesโ
Sharing these documents, IRCTC said that the โthe casserole has been used only once, not for used again for food service or consumption purposes.โ Do not spread misleading news claiming reuse of casseroles for food service, they added.
Notably, as these disposable food containers are made from aluminium, they fetch higher value when sold as scrap, compared to other scrap like plastic and paper.
