FSSAI-BMC to train 10,000 Mumbai street vendors to provide savoury yet safe, hygienic food

Mumbai, Dec 23 Soon, the yummy streetside vada-pavs or bhelpuri or pav-bhaji that millions on Mumbai streets gorge daily, may be served with a dash of food safety and hygiene – courtesy the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, said officials here on Monday.

In a unique initiative, the FSSAI is all set to train some 10,000 street food vendors lessons in enhancing and maintaining food safety and hygiene for the array of foods that they serve in corner stalls or roadside carts, and now even in vans, that tickle the palates of hungry people all over the city.

The reason is: to reduce public health risks and prevent Mumbaikars from consuming contaminated, unhealthy or unhygienic foods which they love, but which may be harmful for their well-being.

The BMC Administrator, Bhushan Gagrani and the FSSAI CEO, G. Kamalvardhan Rao, signed a memorandum of understanding to the effect with top officials from both sides like Vipin Sharma, Sanjog Kabre, Daksha Shah (BMC) besides Preeti Chaudhary, K.U. Methekar (FSSAI), present.

The FSSAI experts will train the street food vendors on the importance of food safety, personal hygiene, cleanliness, preparation of the place of sale, cooking or preparing the food/s, food hygiene processes, safe handling, storage, waste management, plus information on the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Gagrani said on the occasion that Mumbai is renowned as a metropolis of people who work hard and enjoy a strong bond with the street food vendors, and hence it was important to upskill them properly to keep the health of Mumbaikars robust.

Accordingly, Mumbai’s licensed street food vendors will be trained so that they can provide clean, hygienic and fresh food to the citizens to help the Mumbaikars remain ‘healthy’ always with access to quality foods.

The MoU envisages regular tutoring sessions for the street food sellers, round the year, in collaboration with the BMC and FSSAI, and would benefit around 10,000 licenced vendors to begin with, in all the 227 electoral divisions and Wards of the city.

"The main objective of this training is to increase the knowledge and skills of street food vendors about food safety rules, hygiene practices and safe handling of food, create awareness among them to comply with the 'Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006', reduce risks related to public health and discourage Mumbaikars from consuming contaminated, unhealthy food,” remarked Gagrani.

The BMC will ensure that a maximum number of street food vendors participate, provide resources/support for the training and the selected ones will be awarded certificates.

The FSSAI will prepare and provide standardized training modules through qualified trainers and subject-matter experts, hand out reading materials and guidelines for street food vendors, along with effectiveness and evaluation of the training programmes.

A Joint Coordination Committee will be formed between the BMC and the FSSAI, with three members from each side to monitor various initiatives and implement them effectively, besides carrying out a review of the progress at regular intervals.

An official said that the street food vendors will be imparted knowledge of the basic hygiene practices as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Rules, 2011.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)

Source: IANS