Clean street food hubs will be made a reality in some of the state's major cities, Health Minister Veena George announced on Friday. The Food Safety department will carry out this project in major cities, tourist areas, and beaches where large crowds congregate.
The project would be implemented in Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Idukki in the first phase. The goal is to make street food a safe option for the general public.
Small eateries and roadside vendors will be included in the project's scope. A cluster is defined as 20 to 50 small eateries in a given area. All eateries in the cluster would receive training and certificates on serving safe and sanitary food.
Food safety officials will conduct a pre-audit in panchayats, municipalities, and Corporation areas, assess the facilities in each eatery, and provide sufficient instructions to these eateries on serving clean and safe food.
Employees in the restaurants would be trained. The infrastructure, staff attire, hygiene, kitchen utensils, and equipment would be scrutinized. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India will conduct the final audit, and certification will be issued.
About Clean Street Food Hub:
A Clean Street Food Hub (CSFH) is a hub or cluster of 50 or more vendors/shops/stalls selling popular street foods, with at least 80% of the vendors/shops/stalls representing local and regional cuisines and meeting basic hygiene and sanitary requirements. It does not include fine dining.
The Clean Street Food Hub (CSFH) aspires to elevate the quality of street food vending to that of food courts and established hotels and restaurants. This will increase consumer trust in having a safe and sanitary local eating experience.
Every state has its own famous/unique food street that showcases its local and regional cuisines and is well-known both locally and as a tourist attraction. FSSAI will recognise and certify Food Hubs that meet these standards and benchmarks, and such certification will contribute to consumer trust.
