Kerala to set up ‘Clean Street-Food Hubs’ in tourist destinations for food safety

The first of the hubs will come up at Alappuzha beach.

Promising clean and safe food to tourists and motorists, the Kerala Government is planning to set up ‘Clean Street-Food Hubs’ in popular destinations in the state.

The first of the hubs will come up at Alappuzha beach. Similar facilities are planned at Shangumugham in Thiruvananthapuram district, Fort Kochi, Naalumanikkattu in Kottayam district, Kozhikode beach and Munnar, according to the State Food Safety Commissionerate.

Planned as clusters of eateries run by licenced, medically-fit street vendors trained in hygienic preparation of food, the hubs are being established as suggested by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Food Safety officials said.

‘Clean Street-Food Hubs’ are essentially evolved and hygienic versions of the ‘Thattukada’, as roadside eateries are popularly known across Kerala. The motto is clean and safe food. Food handlers would undergo medical fitness tests and the eateries would be issued licences. The water used for preparation of food would be tested at regular intervals. There will also be proper facilities for waste disposal.

“Roadside eateries on wheel carts and vendor stalls are common across Kerala. But hygiene and food safety are recurring issues with these food business operators (FBO). For instance, the source of the water used by them is largely unknown. ‘Clean Street-Food Hubs’ are model facilities that would encourage others to follow suit,” an official of the Food Safety Commissionerate said.

The State-level advisory committee of the Department of Food Safety had cleared the proposal for establishing ‘Clean Street-Food Hubs’ in the state. The committee has also proposed that a ‘Model Street Food Hub’ should be established at Varkala, a popular destination in Thiruvananthapuram district, as a “potential implementation model” for vendors.

Source: Read Full Article