KOCHI: Better check before you dig into mouthwatering snacks made by street shops. While many of you may find the food yummy, the unhygienic conditions under which they are prepared may lead to health issues.
Several restaurants are also guilty of serving food made using reused oil, adulterants and in unhygienic kitchens.
The ongoing drive by food inspectors have once again underlined the fact that the food served by these shops is not really safe. These unsafe roadside favourites include bhel puri, paani puri, kuluki sarbath, fried items such as vada and pazham pori, displayed usually in glass shelves at these shops.
T A Abdul Majeed, senior district food safety officer, said, "During our inspections in eateries, we found unhygienic kitchens, dirty shelves storing food items, and reused oil which had 'tar-like' consistency. Cooked food items, meant for customers, were kept uncovered under cots of workers, mostly migrants, in their rooms."
Several restaurants are also guilty of serving food made using reused oil, adulterants and in unhygienic kitchens.
The ongoing drive by food inspectors have once again underlined the fact that the food served by these shops is not really safe. These unsafe roadside favourites include bhel puri, paani puri, kuluki sarbath, fried items such as vada and pazham pori, displayed usually in glass shelves at these shops.
T A Abdul Majeed, senior district food safety officer, said, "During our inspections in eateries, we found unhygienic kitchens, dirty shelves storing food items, and reused oil which had 'tar-like' consistency. Cooked food items, meant for customers, were kept uncovered under cots of workers, mostly migrants, in their rooms."
"Most often, these eateries, particularly chat centres, fail to meet health and hygiene standards. The oil is reused over and over, I have even seen instances where owners admit to using the same oil for a year! Most often the leftover food is reheated and served the next day. The ingredients too are not fresh or of poor quality. The water used in such places is sourced from taps and wells and not boiled or filtered. I would advise people not to eat such food," said K V Shibu, assistant commissioner of food safety, Kochi.
Another favourite kuluki sarbath is a repository of e-coli. "We found e-coli in the water used for making this sarbath. Our continuous inspections have made the quality of the ice better to a certain extent," he said.
At some restaurants, officials found adulterants like non-permitted synthetic colours in biriyani. It's mandatory for restaurants to warn customers of food items that contain, monosodium glutamate or aginomoto, but it's not done, he said. "We try to provide the best food, and that too at nominal prices. Everyday, I use over two litres of oil because samosas, bondas and pakodas need to be deep fried. I do reuse the oil, but not more than a few times. Ingredients are expensive and if I charge Rs 25 for a samosa, nobody will buy it. I have regular customers. If the food was bad or unhygienic, they would have definitely stopped coming," said Thakur Singh, a native of MP who runs a chat stall on Marine Drive.
Another favourite kuluki sarbath is a repository of e-coli. "We found e-coli in the water used for making this sarbath. Our continuous inspections have made the quality of the ice better to a certain extent," he said.
At some restaurants, officials found adulterants like non-permitted synthetic colours in biriyani. It's mandatory for restaurants to warn customers of food items that contain, monosodium glutamate or aginomoto, but it's not done, he said. "We try to provide the best food, and that too at nominal prices. Everyday, I use over two litres of oil because samosas, bondas and pakodas need to be deep fried. I do reuse the oil, but not more than a few times. Ingredients are expensive and if I charge Rs 25 for a samosa, nobody will buy it. I have regular customers. If the food was bad or unhygienic, they would have definitely stopped coming," said Thakur Singh, a native of MP who runs a chat stall on Marine Drive.
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