When it comes to street food in India, one major fear that every other person has is: how hygienic is the food? And if we talk about the most popular street food of India, ie. Pani Puri, it is highly prone to contamination and bacterial growth because of the use of regular, unclean, or unfiltered water, and raw and boiled ingredients like white matar, potatoes, and onions, which are high in moisture and can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella. In an unfortunate incident, a child died, and over 18 others fell ill due to suspected food poisoning after allegedly eating pani-puri at a roadside stall in Jharkhand’s Giridih. Scroll down to read the details.



According to police, a six-year-old boy died and 18 others fell ill due to suspected food poisoning after allegedly eating pani-puri at a roadside stall in Jharkhand’s Giridih. All of them developed a high fever, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea, and were taken to Sadar Hospital for treatment. While the administration and health department have launched an investigation into the suspected food poisoning case, it has once again raised concerns over the safety and hygiene of Indian street foods.



Why Pani Puri is unsafe


According to experts, street side pani puri is mostly unsafe, especially in summer months as it is highly prone to bacterial growth amidst heat. The key reasons that make it an unfit snack for summer months are:m




Contaminated water: Most vendors use untreated or unfiltered water for making the flavoured water, which can carry bacteria, viruses, or parasites that cause stomach infections.




Poor hygiene practices: While vendors in tier-A cities have started wearing gloves, in many other cities, they still don't wear gloves and also use unclean utensils for mixing the stuffing and keep the water container uncovered, increasing the chance of contamination while serving.




Improper storage: Most street vendors keep ingredients like boiled potatoes, chutneys, and sprouts in the open, and due to extreme heat, this can lead to food poisoning.



FSSAI's Project Clean Street Food




The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) Project Clean Street Food is a part of the Eat Right India movement, which aims to elevate food safety, hygiene, and nutrition standards for local street vendors, transforming them into "Clean Street Food Hubs". The main objective of this project has been to improve hygiene, enhance food safety, and uplift vendors socially/economically. Apart from raising the health and safety standards of street foods, the Project was designed to play a big role in the social and economic uplift of the street vendor community by providing them with skills training under the Government's flagship Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.



What does the Project guideline states


According to FSSAI's user guideline for the project, vendors have to follow these 5 key safety tips




Maintain personal hygiene: This refers to keeping hands clean and using new gloves for serving food. It also refers to maintaining basic personal hygiene-like wearing clean clothes, using a hair mask, and sanitizer before serving food.




Use safe drinking water: It is important for vendors to use packaged or certified clean drinking water for cooking and serving purposes. Use of regular tap water is prohibited under this safety rule.




Protect food from pests and dust: While street vendors often sell food on carts, it is important to keep the food covered and use clean and dry food storage containers to avoid any contamination.




Use clean utensils: This safety tip refers to cooking and serving utensils. Vendors are supposed to always use clean utensils for cooking and serving purposes.




Dispose of waste properly: Street vendors often lack cleanliness in and around the food cart. This tip focuses on using covered dustbins for waste, which should be kept slightly away from the cart. Waste should also be disposed of in a proper manner.




Keep my place clean: This rule is all about keeping the food cart clean and hygienic.



Images Courtesy: istock