Thanjavur: Big demand for Indian food worldwide

THANJAVUR: India is becoming a global supplier of food and there is an increasing demand for Indian food worldwide, said Ashok Kumar, joint secretary, ministry of food processing industries, Government of India, here on Tuesday.

Inaugurating the "Swachhta Pakhwada", the one-day awareness programme for street food vendors on food safety and personal hygiene at the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), Kumar said that the world wide demand necessitated the preparation of food following prescribed food safety standards.

Regretting that 27 lakh people died every year in the country due to water borne diseases, Kumar said that air and water pollution are two hazards that affect people hugely. Diseases like malaria, gastroenteritis, cholera and dengue account for maximum life loss in the country.

Unhygienic food also contributes to various diseases. "So food vendors should be educated and their skills developed to prepare food according to safety standards prescribed. Street food is popular and there is enormous demand for it. But vendors should know the seriousness of potential contaminants like soap solution, use of metal utensils, plastic, cutlery and untreated water for cleaning," Ashok Kumar said.

Janaki Raveendran, commissioner, Thanjavur city corporation and C. Anandharamakrishnan, director, IIFPT also spoke.