Food safety not in unsafe hands

NEW DELHI: Despite their doubtful hygiene, it is hard to resist the golgappas, aloo tikkis, ram laddoos, momos, etc., sold on the roadside. Though Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has formulated guidelines to regulate this unorganized sector, Delhi government has failed to effectively implement them. Now, the street vendors, themselves, are coming together to ensure acceptable standards of food quality and hygiene.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, National Association of Street Vendors of India has launched a catering service to be run and managed by street vendors. "If street vendors want to be taken serious, they will have to stand united. This initiative will give street vendors an opportunity to expand their base. Through this, we can keep a check on the quality of food served and hygiene standards maintained by street vendors," NASVI president Arbind Singh said.
On Monday, NASVI organized a large scale workshop on hygiene and food safety for street vendors. Street vendors from across the city were taught ways to maintain food quality and also informed about how this will help boost their income. "There is a need to create awareness about food safety among public and street vendors. If customers demand it, they will be forced to maintain hygiene. This will result in increase in their monthly income as they can charge more for providing good quality food," said K Chandramouli, chairperson, FSSAI, who inaugurated the workshop.
Delhi was one of the first states to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. But sources in FSSAI claim it has failed to deliver the goods. "There are many states which have done a lot of work to streamline street food vendors. But Delhi has not done much," said a senior official.
NASVI members were disappointed that officials did not attend the launch even though the government has not been able to register street vendors and streamline the system. "We had invited officials from Delhi government and civic agencies, but none came. These people are harassed by police. The government is doing little to streamline the system. Now, we have decided to put a system in place. Our catering service will help thousands of street vendors," Singh said.
As per the plan, NASVI will send out street vendors, who adhere to the food safety and standards rules, to set up stalls at functions based on customer demand. "Our vendors are spread across the city. Depending on the place and requirement of customers, we will send our vendors," Ranjit Abhigyan, programme manager, NASVI, said.
NASVI has also started an initiative to check food safety in markets. "We have appointed peer leaders in all important markets. These people will ensure that all the food vendors in the market adhere to norms. We have put up banners in markets on this," Ranjit said.
For street food vendors, this is an excellent opportunity to work in an organized manner. While some feel that hygiene standards can't be maintained all the time, most are ready to experiment. "It is a good initiative. We get to learn a lot. Over the years, disposable cups have replaced glass or porcelain cups at the roadside tea stall. Most street vendors use disposable plates and spoons. I'm sure that if we try we can change the way street food is served," said Rajkumar Jain, a street food vendor from Shahdara.
It is time for the state government to take note of the growing population of street food vendors in the city and take appropriate measures to ensure food safety.