Chennai Doctors Declare Roadside Food Carts Unhealthy. Street Food Lovers, Dekhlo

by Mallika Khurana
Chennai Doctors Declare Roadside Food Carts Unhealthy. Street Food Lovers, Dekhlo

We all get excited at the thought of indulging in street food. If someone asks us to go out for momos or those spicy roadside noodles, we will be jumping out of our chairs. However. doctors in Chennai don’t share that feeling. After conducting research recently,  they have declared food carts in Chennai unsafe.

Food Carts Are Declared Unsafe

Food Carts
Photo Credits: Canva

No matter how tempting the food looks, the doctors have pointed out certain facts we cannot miss. They pointed out the carelessness with which the sellers handle the food. Without proper equipment available, they leave everything in the open and uncovered. Meat, that should be properly stored at a certain temperature, is left as is, without care. None of these sellers has clean water in place or any sanitation arrangements around.

The basic things required to run a clean food venture are mostly missing when it comes to food carts. Food kept in the open can easily be a cause of diseases like typhoid.

A study conducted in 2019 by doctors in Chennai was published in the Journal of Comprehensive Health. They thoroughly researched the street food units in the city using the multistage sampling method. They made it clear that the vendors were in severe need of knowledge and awareness about foodborne diseases, standard hygiene practices, and the protection of the environment.

Department To Provide Periodic Training

After analysing 200 food units, the results were severe, leading the doctors to declare the street food carts completely unsafe. As per the statistics, only 34.5% of the vendors properly wash their hands before cooking, 19% of them wear hair covers, 5.5% have gloves on, and only 51% have cleanly trimmed nails.

Dr P Satheesh Kumar, the designated food safety officer in Chennai, mentioned that the department’s next step would be to take action and make street food safer. They intend to register all street food carts and provide the vendors with proper and periodic training. They will be trained and educated about food safety, proper hygiene, possible diseases, and more, which will lead them to conduct business safely.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva