Focus on hygiene: Roadside vendors to get training

CHENNAI: The beginning of summer has resulted in an increase in cases of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea in city hospitals. To ensure that they follow good practices, the food safety department plans to train roadside food vendors in addition to stepping up raids on establishments selling contaminated food and lacking proper hygiene.

Officials have brought a special focus on roadside vendors, as the unregulated nature of their business often leads to infections among the public.

An increase in food-borne and water-borne illnesses has been especially reported in high numbers in government hospitals recently.

Besides inspections and seizing of sub-standard products, the food safety department is also training the roadside small food business owners to educate them on safety measures.

“We are identifying food sellers who regularly sell food on the roadside and impart them with knowledge on food safety standards. We are not against the small food business and the aim is not to shut them down. The food safety department is going to train these small food business owners to educate them on procurement of unadulterated raw materials, production of food items hygienically and safely and their sale,” said designated food safety officer Dr P Satheesh Kumar.

A 3-4 hour training session will be held for these small business owners and they will be certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

(FSSAI). The widespread use of synthetic colours in food items has also been cause for concern. The food sellers will also be educated on the right quantity of permitted edible colours and flavours to be used in food and drinks, the food safety officer said.

“The small businesses will be registered so that they can be licensed to sell the food items. It is called registration and a fee of Rs 100 will be charged. The certification is for all the small businesses who get trained by the food safety department,” he added.