Yearly food safety licence mulled

Bidhannagar municipality to ensure street food is healthy and hygienic

Bidhannagar street vendors will now be bound to ensure hygiene and comply with the standards of the Food Safety and Standard Regulation, 2011.

Bidhannagar Municipality is planning to issue food safety licence to all street hawkers and vendors in Bidhannagar, on a yearly basis, to ensure they prepare food in a hygienic and healthy manner.

Every street food vendor in Bidhannagar who has an annual income of less than Rs 12 lakh per annum can now register with Bidhannagar Municipality for a nominal fee of Rs 100 per annum. 

This registration will fetch him a food safety licence so that the street vendor is then bound to follow the quality and rules prescribed in Schedule IV of the Food Safety and Standard Regulation 2011.

The director of surveillance, Food Safety Department (northern zone), Mr Pradip Chakraborty, said: "According to the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, we intend to ensure food safety not only in big food outlets but also in street food outlets which has maximum consumption rate in our country." 

This year we will issue food safety licence in Bidhannagar as chairman-in council, Mr Devashish Jana, has approached us regarding the issue and also because of the increasing number of street food stalls in Bidhannagar," said Mr Chakraborty.

According to a survey conducted by students of all-India Institute of public hygiene and health, in 2011, there are nearly 1.2 lakh street vendors in the city. Considering this figure, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation had already taken the initiative in the city but not Bidhannagar.

The chairman-in council of Bidhannagar Municipality, Mr Jana, who is also the supervisor of the project, said: "The intention is to set a standard for street food which is consumed by a large number of people. By binding them in this agreement we can compel them to comply with the food safety standards of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006."

He also said food inspectors would be deployed to inspect the progress of the project.

There are various food audit agencies prescribed by the Quality Council of India (QCI) namely Export Inspection Agency (EIA) and All India Surveillance General Society (AISGS) who will be on yearly audit and give clearance for renewal of license.

The project is expected to take off by February next year, as discussion on phase II has already begun and survey and inspection process is underway in Bidhannagar.