COIMBATORE:At a time when more and more cities are disallowing the sale of food by keeping it in the open, the unhealthy practice continues in Coimbatore.
Displayed openly in front of restaurants and on roadsides, they often have enticing smells and colours, but can cause health problems. ‘Free’ with them come various diseases as chances of contamination are very high - through the air, through flies and by the touch of infected people, say health experts.
Considering such problems, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued strict instructions to street vendors and hoteliers not to display food in the open, but keep them in closed glass boxes and to follow all food safety rules.
However, in Coimbatore, such caution has been thrown to the wind and one can seen food kept in the open being traded across the district.
These all sorts of food - from dosa, idli, appam and parotta, snacks like vada, paniyaram and neyyappam to sliced fruit (mostly papaya, water melon and pineapple) and pickles provided by buttermilk sellers. But the officials concerned have been turning a blind eye to the practice.
A man sells thayir-vada in front of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on his bicycle. The food is kept open to the air though it is a place where hundreds of infected people would be always present. The irony is that people buy his ware without any hesitation.
“He sells four vadas at Rs 10. It is very cheap. You won’t get four vadas at this rate anywhere else. Who cares whether it is kept in the open. We have to satisfy our hunger at a low cost,” said Mariammal from Karumathampatty who had come to the CMCH for treatment.
Many of the traders are unaware of the importance of keeping the food in clean and closed containers and the health threats from food kept it in the open. It is the responsibility of the Food Safety Wing to educate them about healthy practices, but it has failed to do so.
“Good display increases sales as people will see the food and get attracted. We did not know that it can cause diseases to spread,” said a worker at a restaurant near the railway station.
“It is not only in our place. No one has told us to keep the food closed. If all do it, we will also do so. If only we do it, it will reduce our business. Our rivals will be able to sell more by display their ware well,” he added.
‘Stocking of Food In The Open Is An Invitation to Disease’
Stocking food in the open for sale is an invitation to disease, and the practice must be stopped immediately, say health experts.
“Who knows how many of those who go to hospitals were infected from food sold in the open. No one knows. No one might even have thought about it. But, it is in fact a great threat to public health and must be stopped,” said P K Mohanan, who retired from the Public Health Department and is now conducting research on preventive medicine.
Flies and other insects that carry germs of diseases like cholera, typhoid, and jaundice land on food kept in the open. Those who eat it are very likely to catch the disease. Besides, when infected people cough or sneeze nearby, the germs may reach the food through the air, he added.
In addition, the practice of self-service in some hotels is also dangerous. “People come from different places and may be carrying various infectious organisms. If they take a piece of food item, the germs may get stuck on pieces close to it also from his hand. This is why we demand that officials should teach food traders healthy food practices,” said Mohanan.
A good food trader will not allow consumers to take the food on their own. Those who handle the food must always be wear gloves.
“Food traders must take medical fitness certificate every six months. But how many of them follow this rule? Indeed, how many are aware of food safety rules?” he asked.
This state of affairs shows the utter failure of the Food Safety Wing. It is high time that it took steps to end practices in the food trade that are dangerous to public health, said Mohanan.
Steps to End Unhealthy Practices in Food Trade
Steps will be taken to end the practice of keeping food for sale in the open, said Food Safety Commissioner Kumar Jayant.
“I have not come across the problem. Let me speak with the filed officers and find what they are doing to end such unhealthy practices. We will do the needful depending on their response,” he added.
The Food Safety Wing has enough staff to enforce the norms, but are unable to do so as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) keeps extending the deadline for food traders to register themselves, official sources said.
“All food traders, from street vendors to five star hotels, must get the Food Safety Wing’s consent to start work. When a trader approaches the wing for registration, the officials will train him as well as his employees in safe practices. They will also be taught about avoiding health risks and what they should not do,” said R Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Food Safety Wing, Coimbatore.
The FSSAI has extended the deadline for registration five times. “Thus, the traders do not bother to approach officials and register their establishments. If the FSSAI does not extend the deadline for a sixth time, we can catch those who flout safety norms,” he added.
Approaching every food trader to teach food safety norms is not a feasible option. “If registration is made mandatory, we can teach them healthy practices when they meet us. Without making them aware of their mistakes, there is no point in penalising them,” said Kathiravan.
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