Ahead of sensitisation programme, survey of roadside eateries begin

The Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration has launched a survey of roadside eateries in the district ahead of conducting a sensitisation programme for them on food safety and hygiene.

The Department is planning to identify and create a database of all roadside eateries in the district over the next few days, before launching a training programme for them in batches.

On Thursday, department officials led by R. Ramesh Babu, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Tiruchi, launched the survey in the city and enumerated as many as 228 roadside eateries including those functioning on pushcarts, night tiffin stalls, panipuri, bhajji/vada and allied vendors. The survey will continue over the next few days in the district.

“Once the enumeration is over, we plan to train the owners of eateries on food safety and register them with the department. The short term programme will be conducted in batches. We will provide basic training in food handling free of cost and also provide them with aprons, gloves and masks,” Dr. Ramesh Babu told The Hindu. Those who undergo the training will be issued certificates, which can be displayed at the eateries.

The eateries would be sensitised to keep food in closed containers or behind glass cases and not keep them in the open. Similarly, they will also be educated against using water in a single bucket to wash all vessels and plates. Instead, they could use a 25-litre water can with a pipe to wash the vessels and plates, Dr. Ramesh Babu said.

“We have roped in three vendors association to coordinate the exercise and they have agreed to extend their cooperation,” he added.

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