Soon, your street food will have much needed hygiene

Kozhikode: Street food is usually considered unhealthy and it’s frowned upon to indulge in your favourite treats. This reputation has been built on the assumption that street foods have questionable hygiene standards.

But all this is about to change as the district assistant commissioner of food safety will launch an initiative to convert the beach stretch into ‘clean street food hub’. 

A proposal in the regard has been submitted to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). 

The project will ensure that street food vendors at the beach stretch (city corporation office to Lion’s Park) maintain quality and hygiene of the food delivered to customers. 

FSSAI will conduct a pre-audit before giving final approval to transform it into a clean street food hub. The vendors who sell food items must comply with stipulated norms of FSSAI will be issued licence.

The project aims at ensuring healthy, hygiene and safety standard of street food and holistic development of the street food vendors.

There are framed guidelines for upgrading the existing infrastructure of street food clusters to make it safe and hygienic.

The parameters include best practices for garbage disposal, maintaining personal hygiene, demarcating cooking and non-cooking area, working street lights, pest control and overall cleanliness among other things.

The scheme will bring them all under the Food Safety and Standard Act. The project will also empower street vendors with basic knowledge about food safety and ensure that they maintain personal hygiene and uses safe drinking water.

It will also ensure that the food is protected from pests and dust and the vendors use clean utensils to cook. 

Proper disposal of waste will be carried out. The officials will also conduct a training programme to create awareness about the norms of Food Safety and Standard Act. 

According to the office of the assistant commissioner of food safety Kozhikode, preliminary survey has identified a total of 98 street vendors at the beach stretch. 

P K Aleyamma, assistant commissioner of food Safety, said FSSAI officials will conduct a pre-auditing before giving the. “Only licensed vendors will be allowed to operate on the stretch,’’ she added

“Reuse of oil and usage of artificial colours that pose threat to your health will not be allowed once the project is implemented,’’ she said adding that the scheme will be extended to other streets as well.

The ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ initiative will raise hygiene standards and revolutionise street food vending in the city, making it popular among both domestic and international tourists while also preserving rich culinary heritage.

The initiative will nudge the street food vendors into a food ecosystem where the Indian street food vending will be looked up with high esteem at a global level.