Kozhikode street vendors put under Food Safety lens

Kozhikode: The city's street food centres have in recent past gained wide popularity for taste and low price.

But with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) acting tough, very soon these outlets will disappear. In just one day of the inspection, it closed down nine of the 11 inspected food joints.

Only two owners have a license for running eateries from FSSAI, and the rest were illegal outlets offering cheap quality and unhygienic food.

"We will make sure that no street food centre functions in the district without a license and not following guidelines in the Food Safety Act," said assistant commissioner O. Sankaran Unni.

"We are re-emphasising the need for rigorous compliance with food safety and hygiene legislation.

“It requires putting appropriate food safety management procedures in place and making sure they are adhered to at all times."

Street foods are very popular, especially among the low-income groups. Most of them are often contaminated with bacteria due to the unhygienic condition in which they are prepared, stored and handled.

"Most of them make food with bare hands and water is taken from contaminated sources. In spite of our warnings, they are still storing the food in open trays attracting germs," he said.