By IANS,
New Delhi : Good news for street food lovers — the delicious, cheap road-side food in India is all set for a “clean” makeover with the central government planning to launch a programme to upgrade hygiene and quality of street food in the country.
The ministry of food processing announced Tuesday that more than 10,000 street food vendors would come under its scanner once the new programme was introduced.
Under the proposed programme, 10 food streets with ethnic cuisine will be identified, and the majority of stake-holders will be upgraded in terms of quality and hygiene.
An official statement said efforts were being made to make it mandatory for the food vendors to register with the local authorities.
The government is also considering introducing food safety programmes in the school curriculum.
The ministry has also designed other initiatives to build capacity and upgrade infrastructure aimed at strengthening the entire food chain.
These include, upgrading 50 food safety laboratories, reviewing the fruit products order and meat and meat-food products order in consultation with the stake-holders, and a micro-level study to identify steps needed to eliminate wastage in various crops.
The government will also prepare an action plan for a rapid response system through which consumers can air their views on food safety issues.