With the onset of summer, diet plays an important role in keeping healthy. With many preferring street food to satiate their taste buds, it is important to focus on hygiene in order to stay fit. Here's what our readers have to say on what needs to be done to keep a check on street food vendors:
Consumers should avoid uncovered food
Come summer and you can see numerous roadside food vendors putting up temporary shops. As far as hygiene is considered, the standards are very poor. The concerned authorities are also turning a blind eye to this issue. The vendors do not cover the food items which attracts flies and germs. The least a vendor can do is cover the food items. Water is the next most important thing. The vendors use water from roadside taps which is not clean. This water is stored in bottles thus giving an impression that it is bottled water. Consumers should avoid drinking such water. GVMC should ascertain that all vendors big or small follow certain norms of hygiene. It should be compulsory to cover the food items so that they are not exposed to insects. Water can be supplied by GVMC to these vendors and the civic body should ensure that only such water is used. Consumers should also cooperate and consume only hygienically stored food.
M Suryanarayana, Retired govt employee
Use safe drinking water
Hygiene is the practice of keeping oneself and the surroundings clean to prevent disease. Roadside vendors, restaurants and star hotels should ensure that every food item they serve is hygienically prepared. Water is the main source of diseases. Therefore, clean and safe drinking water should be used for cooking purposes. Secondly, the surroundings of kitchens and food courts should be neat and clean. Thirdly, the chef and other cooking staff should use gloves and clean utensils. The food items and edible oils should be used fresh. The health department should also keep an eye on fruit juice shops and chaat centres. Any deviation in this regard must be punished and penalised.
V Ramesh, Retired employee
Prevent violators of food hygiene
With the early onset of summer this year, street vendors have already set up cold drinks and fruit juice centres across the city. But, many of the vendors do not follow hygienic and just focus on making profits. Even the public does not bother. Street vendors should voluntarily adopt hygienic measures to improve the quality of food served. GVMC authorities should also clean up the areas around these eateries. Proper waste management should be in place and the authorities should lay down regulations regarding food safety and cleanliness. Penalty should be imposed on vendors who flout rules.
NN Sindhuraveni, IT professional
Train roadside vendors
Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) as well as the municipal authorities must jointly organise hygiene training for street vendors where they should be taught techniques of food storage as well as handling and maintaining hygiene. Vendors must be made to appear for a test after the training and certificates should be given based on performance. An ID card, pocket book stating the guidelines, and a hygiene kit containing aprons, gloves and caps should be given to all the vendors after the rigorous training. This periodic training to vendors shall improve the hygiene standards.
Gajjarapu Sri Harsha, MBA student
Issue licences to vendors
Why only summer? The public expects hygienic food throughout the year, whether road-side or otherwise. Only a strong and determined administration can ensure the well-being of its citizens. Roadside vendors are a big risk to everyone. They do not pay any taxes to the local authority and cannot be traced in case people fall sick after consuming their food items. Visakhapatnam cannot be home to such businesses. The policy should be 'do business, but responsibly'. All roadside vendors should obtain a licence and told to operate at least 500 meters away from each other.
D Ravi, Retired executive
Buy from busy vendors
Today's life is busy and fast where there is no time for cooking. Both the husband and wife earn good money and depend on street food or restaurants for their meals. However, there is a dark side to this convenience. Depending on how busy a street food vendor is, food may be sitting around a while before we come along and buy it. Cold food attracts insects. When choosing street food, look for carts that are busy as this means the food is prepared on the spot. Health and food inspectors must examine and penalise errant vendors.
Choppa Rama Raju
Impose spot fines
With the summer heat leaving Vizagites dehydrated, roadside vendors are having a field day selling cut watermelons and mangoes which are exposed to germs and insects. GVMC should carry out surprise checks to ensure that the vendors keep their food items covered. Inspectors should impose spot fines if any vendor is found ignoring hygiene and also check the water being used for making fruit juices.
R Sekar, PSU employee
Regular inspections a must
Public health inspectors play an important role in ensuring that hygienic food is sold across the city. They must inspect all public establishments serving food items on a regular basis. Further, stakeholders should be trained on implementing minimum precautions about food safety. Street vendors should keep the food properly covered at all times to maintain hygiene.
Neeharika Annamreddi, Student
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