Street food vendors keep health squads on toes

One of the unhygienic eateries which was removed by a special squad in Thripunithura recently. 

Need to create hygienic space for business stressed

The street food vendors continue to keep the health squads on their toes as they appear again at the same place from where they were removed for allegedly vending unhygienic food.

The district administration’s squads, with the support of local bodies, are active in the city and the surrounding municipalities. It is the local body concerned that should take a call on the street vending on government land. However, no local body is ready to give space for the street vendors in the time of communicable diseases that is keeping the health authorities on the look out for anything that could be a public health hazard.

District Food Safety Officer, Ernakulam, K.V. Shibu told The Hindu that food safety laws promote hygienic street food vending and any person who promises to vend food in safe and hygienic manner cannot be denied licence.

However, the municipal rules do not allow the civic authorities to permit people to use roadsides or other government land to set up even temporary stalls.

According to food safety rules, street food vending is permitted with certain conditions.

The local bodies need to accommodate the street food vendors by creating hygienic space and give them licence to do business. There had never been a serious effort in settling the issues of the street vendors.

Street food vending is popular on the highways where there is more truck movement and at places where people are working night shifts.

Kalamassery, Seaport-Airport Road, and Thripunithura are some of the places where street food vending has become more popular.