–KH News Desk (cbedit@imaws.org)
As many as 50 vendors from Mumbai Thursday attended a workshop on food safety where they were educated about hygiene practices, providing them tools and knowledge to prevent food-borne illnesses and enhance public health standards, reported TOI. The workshop in Andheri (East) was organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporartion as part of their “Clean and Safe Food” campaign for street vendors.
FSSAI, India’s central agency for food quality and safety, aims to train 10,000 vendors nationwide. While Mumbai has a vibrant street food culture, there are concerns about cleanliness, hygiene and food quality offered by vendors. Last year, a food poisoning incident linked to contaminated shawarma caused several people to fall seriously ill, some requiring hospitalisation.
FSSAI’s Regional Director for the West Region, Preeti Chaudhary, said, “In December 2024, FSSAI signed an agreement with BMC to train street food vendors. Our goal is to ensure that people receive clean and safe food, reducing the chances of foodborne illnesses.”
The training programme covers critical aspects of food safety, such as wearing gloves while handling food, properly storing raw ingredients, using clean water, avoiding the reuse of cooking oil, and maintaining overall food quality.
Dr Anil Kumar, a leading gastroenterologist, emphasised the importance of such initiatives. “Street food is often an affordable and accessible option for many, but if proper hygiene standards aren’t followed, it can lead to outbreaks of foodborne diseases,” he said. The programme is open to all street food vendors, regardless of whether they hold a food license. The main goal is to bring about behavioral and social changes among vendors by promoting hygienic practices that ensure the safety of the food they serve.
As part of the initiative, vendors were also provided with hygiene kits and testing equipment to further ensure that food safety standards are met.
