In a bid to promote safe, hygienic and healthy food for the public, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) concluded that street vendors across Bengaluru will also be included in the scope of the regulatory body’s licensing. Following the ongoing concerns that have revealed alarming results for foods like shawarma and pani puri being contaminated or containing harmful substances, questions have been raised about cleanliness while food preparation, storage and handling by the street vendors.
Aiming to provide the necessary educational support and resources which shed light on maintaining hygiene and quality for food practices, the collaboration is intended to generate a sense of trust and authenticity amongst street food vendors. Not only will the new licensing system benefit vendors to be able to attract more customers, but also give patrons the assurance that the food they are consuming is safe and free of contamination. With bans imposed on the use of food colouring in items like kebabs, gobi manchurian and cotton candy, the state government of Karnataka has been pulling strings to ensure that its citizens consume food that meets all the necessary quality parameters.
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Following reports of the 260 samples of pani puri which were collected across the state, 41 of them not only contained artificial colours but also used cancer-causing chemicals; as well as 18 more which did not match up to quality standards, thus being unsafe to consume. The checking, which was conducted after the regulatory body received multiple complaints from consumers resulted in the testing of the street food samples which were collected from streetside vendors as well as popular restaurants. With warnings of stringent action being issued against violators, the new norms give food safety a ray of hope within the state.