BBMP must have flying squads auditing food samples for quality and hygiene

If Bengaluru has street vendors selling unhygienic food, what is the BBMP doing about it, asks civic expert and secretary of the Citizens’ Action Forum ( CAF), N Mukund.

Pointing out that it is the civic agency, which issues the trade licences, he says the onus is on it to regulate roadside eateries and ensure that they maintain minimum hygiene to prevent their customers from falling sick. “The BBMP must have flying squads to take samples of the food being sold and send them to the laboratory to check for quality and hygiene,” he suggests.

While the civic activist agrees that the food sold on the roadside is cheaper than that which is served in darshinis or hotels, he regrets that it is unfortunately not as hygienic. “These eateries serve a large number of people who toil through the day and so it is the duty of the BBMP to check how the food is cooked. Sometimes the food is served right on a major storm water drain, which makes people who consume it vulnerable to disease,” he observes.

Mr Mukund regrets that the BBMP does not have a count of such eateries and its plan to issue them trade licences has still not been fully enforced. “First, the BBMP must make an inventory of these eateries and regulate them, checking their kitchen, water and hygiene,” he underlines.

BBMP chief health officer, Dr. Manoranjan Hegde, however, claims that health inspectors of the wards do check the street vendors for visual hygiene and cleanliness. “It is the food safety wing of the health department which is authorised to take the food samples for testing,” he adds