Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 |
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Industry & Economy
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Standards & Benchmarks BIS norms for street food vendors by year-end Our Bureau
Kolkata , June 9 THE Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing a set of standards for street food vendors who operate in the metropolitan cities. This was indicated by Prof. Indira Chakravarty, Director Professor & Head, Department of Bio-Chemistry & Nutrition, All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, at a seminar on `Street food - hazards & benefits,' organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry. According to Prof Chakravarty, the BIS standards are likely to be ready by the end of 2004. "This is an extensive exercise but we are trying to complete it as early as possible," she told presspersons. However, as the operations of these street vendors are not within the ambit of the law, none of them is licensed by any authority, which makes it difficult to implement such standards among the vendors. Few years ago, Prof Chakravarty conducted a study among the street food vendors of Kolkata. The Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) project was supported by several State Government authorities. The project reported that the street food vending sector offered highly nutritious food at unbelievably cheap rates. It creates employment for a large number of people. However, though the food sold by the vendors is tasty, 60 per cent of it is contaminated with the bacteria, e-coli. "A major epidemic would have broken out in some of the developed countries, if the food supplied had such high level of contamination. We have survived because of our high resistive power," she said. Following the report, the West Bengal Government held several training sessions for the vendors. Of the1.3 lakh street food vendors in Kolkata, more than 3,500 have been trained. This programme is now being replicated in Delhi and Mumbai. Based on the recommendations of FAO, 36 other countries are trying to follow this programme. "Removing the street food vendors is impossible and also unjustifiable because they offer a variety and has become a part of the Indian lifestyle. Instead, we should try to improve the hygienic quality of the food supplied by them," she said.
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