Kozhikode beach has almost everything it takes to make it a ‘clean street food hub’, and with a little handholding, the city may become home to south India’s first Clean Street Food Hub certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in less than four months.
The office of the Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety in Kozhikode, with the help of the Kozhikode Corporation and the Kozhikode district administration, has started making efforts in this direction. “The FSSAI certifies a place as a clean street food hub based on certain parameters, and we are making efforts to meet those parameters soon,” said Joseph Kuriakose, Food Safety Officer.
The Food Safety department had floated the idea in 2019 but could not proceed with it owing to the pandemic situation. Now that business is back to normal on the beach, the efforts have been revived.
There are 73 food vendors on the Kozhikode beach from the corporation office to Lions Park. The corporation has already conducted a survey and provided health cards. Food Safety officials have organised training and certification workshops too. However, there are a few issues that need to be addressed, the first being availability of clean potable water in the carts. “It may take some time to extend a Water Authority pipeline from the other side of the road on to the beach and set up a tank. As a temporary measure, water will be provided to the carts from the Theertham drinking water unit of the Kudumbashree,” Mr. Kuriakose said.
Training vendors in waste management is the next step. They will be provided bins in three colours for different types of waste, which will be regularly collected by the Harithakarma Sena.
Traffic regulations on Beach Road is satisfactory and suits the parameters for FSSAI certification. However, the carts need to be aligned in a line. The authorities are also planning to pave interlock tiles in the area.
The highest priority, however, is for food quality. With constant interventions, vendors on the beach have stopped using vinegar with contents of mineral acid, synthetic colours, and used cooking oil. However, owners of shops offering food items served with ice need further training to ensure safety.
Once the parameters are met, there will be an internal as well as external auditing after which the certification will be made. As the Kozhikode beach already meets most parameters, officials believe that the process may not be delayed too much.
