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No check on unhygienic food being sold by vendors in evening markets

Subodh Bhasin. Dated: 7/14/2018 11:00:25 AM

Subodh Bhasin
Jammu, July 13
The street food industry owned by vendors has an important role in the cities and is fast growing in Jammu as well as meeting the food demands thousands of people daily with a wide variety of foods that are relatively cheap and easily accessible.
In Jammu also there are number of road side vendors who continue to sell unhygienic eatables during evening and night hours and the authorities have miserably failed to keep check on the unhygienic food items being sold by hawkers and vendors along roadside.
People across the Jammu although have widely divergent opinions about hawkers selling food during evening hours particularly. Some say they should not be allowed to sell food on the streets as there are no regulations to protect consumers while others argue they have a right to earn a living.
Talking benefit of blind approach adopted by the authorities these hawkers, some of whom are operating illegally during evening time till late night hours; want to make a quick buck without any concern for the health of the people.
In the day time most of the hawkers selling eatables remain of the road fearing action by the authorities but as soon as sun sets majority of the roadside vendors appear on the roads of Jammu city.
Most of the vendors and hawkers are from outside. These food items being sold by these hawkers pose a threat to public health and the authorities have miserably failed to keep check on the quality of food items being sold.
The surprising fact is that in absence of any proper check by the authorities in ensuring if their food is safe to eat, these vendors are putting the health at risk. And many of these vendors ignore the correct food hygiene rules. If customers become ill it is difficult for them to complain or seek compensation as the hawkers do not have fixed stalls. These vendors also do not follow the correct procedure for disposing of food waste. They will simply dump it in the street and pour dirty water down the drain.
Talking to Young Bites correspondent Ajeet Singh resident of City said that these vendors cook it without wearing gloves, wash the utensils, handle money with the same hands and leave it lying out in the open. That is totally unhygienic.
Talking to Young Bites correspondent Dr SS Sambyal said that preparing and serving the food by the most of vendors without following basic norms lead to Bacteria transmitted food, like coliform, E coli, salmonella, shigella, staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas which are major causes of infections such as diarrhea, typhoid, food poisoning, urinary tract infections and pneumonia.
He further added that the bacteria grow quickly if the food is kept in moist, warm conditions, and can enter human bodies if the vegetables or meat are not washed properly or there is faecal contamination during food production or handling. Bacteria can also reach your food through flies, exchange of cash with infected hands or through contaminated water.
The matter of the fact is that unless and until the authorities do not keep a check on the quality of food items being sold and these roadside vendors will continue to play with the health of thousands of people every day.