Milk and oil used by street vendors under govt scanner

New Delhi:

Milk and oil used by street vendors and in restaurants are under the scanner of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The authority is going to launch a massive drive for milk and oil with major sampling and testing across the country.

"Milk and oil are majorly used and adulterated by vendors. We will be harsh on such food vendors, whether they are the restaurants who serve or companies manufacturing these items. Contaminated milk and oil pose a major risk to human health. So, this has to be monitored minutely," a senior official at FSSAI said.

It has also written to all the state food safety officers to ensure food safety rules are followed by street vendors as the number of these vendors is swelling in the country.

"Street food vending has become a serious health issue and a great concern. This is due to an alarming rise in food-borne diseases which are a result of the mushrooming of wayside food vendors, who lack adequate understanding of the basic safety and hygiene issues. Major sources contributing to microbial contamination are the place of preparation of food, utensils used for cooking and serving, raw materials, lack of access to potable water, time and temperature abuse of cooked foods, inadequate solid waste management systems and the personal hygiene of the vendors," the official said.

Most food-borne diseases, if not all, can be prevented by applying the basic principles of food hygiene throughout the food chain. The FSSAI has proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Street Vended Foods. "The draft code provides the guidelines defining the general hygienic requirements and recommended practices concerning the preparation and vending of street foods," the official said.