Street food is an intrinsic part of Indian cuisine. It represents the essence of the local food culture and also drives the economy by promoting tourism. Many Indian street foods such as samosa and vada pav have gained global recognition. Our food streets are always buzzing with tourists and locals, but there are many who avoid these food items due to health safety concerns. But this may soon be a thing of the past. There are preparations to open more than 100 new food streets, which will be neat and clean.
The Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has requested the States/UTs to develop 100 Food Streets in 100 districts across the country. The initiative is being taken as a pilot project to set an example for other such roads to come up across the country to ensure hygienic and safe food practices. The project aims to encourage safe and healthy food practices among food businesses and community members, thus, reducing foodborne illnesses and improving overall health outcomes.
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In a letter to the states, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Manoj Joshi highlighted that easy access to safe and clean food is important for the good health of citizens. The Right campaign “and food safety but will improve the hygiene credibility of local food businesses, boosting local employment, tourism and in turn the economy. It also leads to a cleaner and greener environment.”
This unique initiative will be implemented through the National Health Mission (NHM) in convergence with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with technical support from FSSAI. The press release states that for this initiative States/UTs will be given financial assistance in the form of Rs 1 crore per Food Street/District to fill the critical gap.
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The street food of India is popular all over the world. Image credit: iStock
Municipal corporations, development authorities and district collectors at the state level will take major initiatives to ensure convergence in terms of financial resources and physical infrastructure. Various other initiatives like training of food handlers, independent third party audit and certification of Eat Right Street Food Hub ‘SOP for Modernization of Food Streets’ have been taken to enhance the food safety standards.
Schemes like “Support to Urban Street Vendors (SUSVs)” under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DANULM), a component of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, have also been launched. In addition, the States/UTs may also organize training programs to orient the street vendors on aspects such as food safety, maintenance of hygiene and waste disposal.