Adulterated oil, rotten ingredients, Bhopal street food is poison: Report

Bhopal: This is a Bhopal specific report based on a survey of the city’s hawker’s corner which has about 300 food stalls. However, it could very well be a story of street food stalls in every Indian city. 

For those who relish the fried rice and chowmein that the street vendor near your school or college sells, here’s an eye–opener that could very well make you lose your appetite. The latest report of the Food Security Department reveals some distasteful truths that are shocking to say the least.

The noodles, dosas and chole you so enjoy at your  street food vendor’s  could be actively harming your health in more ways than you can think of. Food security officials have published a report based on investigations conducted between October 2012 to January 2013.

A highlight of the report is that a majority of the ingredients whether it be food or drinks are sub-standard and not fit to be eaten at all. 

The department has specific instructions to monitor the food served in such stalls with full permission to destroy any stalls that are found to be faulty. 

Among the areas surveyed were-New market, MP Nagar, Habibganj, Subhash Nagar, Kolar, Saket Nagar, and Arera colony hawker’s zone food stalls.  

An official at the CMHO office said that the most harmful practice is that most of the cooking is done out in the open and the display is also open on the counter.

This not only ensures that flies feed on them, but they are also open to the dust and grime from the streets around. 

Most stalls have been issued notices to improve the conditions in which they cook and serve customers.

Food security officials will be cracking down a second time on the stalls that have received notices.

The oil used for cooking is used and reused.

Foodstalls serving Chinese

seldom change the oil they use for frying noodles and other items!

Many of them use the oil that has already been used for frying bhatures to fry noodles and rice!

Vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items are rarely kept separate!

Some startling revelations 

• Palm oil is mixed in edible oil.

• Samosas are made with rotten potatoes.

• Decayed flour used in vegetarian balls used for many Chinese dishes. 

• Rotten soya is mixed in chowmein.

• Peanuts are used instead of gourd in Sambhar.

• Water is mixed in tomato sauce.

• Low quality masalas used to spice vegetable dishes.

• Fried rice is cooked in burnt oil.

 (Information based on report of Food Security Department) 

Squads find water supply norms flouted

Special squads of the Food Safety Commissioner conducted widespread inspection of tanker lorries distributing drinking water in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Ernakulam districts on Tuesday and detected a lot of irregularities in the quality and safety of the drinking water supplied, besides violation of the food safety norms.

The Food Safety wing carried out the inspections following reports that the guidelines issued in January by the Food Safety Commissioner regarding the quality of water and the manner in which it should be transported were being observed more in the breech.

In the inspections conducted in urban and suburban areas in Thiruvananthapuram district, food safety officials issued strict instructions to the Executive Engineer, Kerala Water Authority, that drinking water be supplied only to those tanker lorries that have food safety licence and that adhere strictly to the norms.

Water samples were collected from ten tanker lorries and sent to the Government Analysis Laboratory for testing. Notice was issued to those tanker lorry owners found violating the food safety norms. Inspections were carried out to test water quality at the SUT Hospital canteen and the Nathan hotel at Peroorkada and the latter was issued notice under the Food Safety Act. In Ernakulam district, five tanker lorries were served notice for not possessing the Food Business Operator (FBO) licence and the water samples from these lorries were sent to the Ernakulam regional analytic lab for testing.

Water samples from three drinking water sources were collected and sent for testing. Food Safety Commissioner Biju Prabhakar said that as a first-time exercise, only the notice was being issued to those violating the food safety norms. In the next phase of inspections, steps will be taken for legal prosecution of the offenders, including imposition of fine. The tanker lorries will also be seized. The public can complain to the Food Safety toll-free line (1800 425 1125). .i