With the advent of the IT industry, people are caught in a web of erratic working hours, extreme socialising, and practically no time to make a full fledged meal. This leaves the individual no other choice but to outsource their hunger needs to the monopoly of take-aways, road side eateries and sit- in- restaurants. Time is money and so food is preferably eaten on the run.
Quick meals, pre-cooked, heated, assembled for the starved then and there; a burger or a plate of chaat will do. It doesn't matter if the food is unhealthy, taste and low cost is paramount. However, we forget the most crucial thing, and that is how hygienic the food handler, the washing area and the food outlet are. Simply put food hygiene and safety implies lesser risks for epidemics and pandemics.
Statistics show that one out of every third visitor to developing countries suffers from travellers' diarrhoea. In India the rate goes up to 54 per cent.
This just shows that food providers, caterers and vendors are not adequately trained in food safety and hygiene. External contamination of food through dust, dirt, unclean vessels, pests and rodents, along with serving of left- overs, inadequate heating of frozen foods, improper storage results in bacteria and fungi; factors leading to health risks. A landmark study in 1958 carried out for people returning from Mexico indicated that the problem was infectious. Guidelines were suggested to 'peel it, cook it, boil it - or forget it'. Most of the harmful bugs on the surface of raw produce and raw meat can be killed if boiled or cooked to 140 degree Fahrenheit.
Street foods
Another bacteriological study of street foods conducted by Bhaskar et al in 2003, showed that of 60 samples, 56 were contaminated with bacteria. High numbers of coliforms were found in places where washing of hands, utensils and dishes were done in buckets.
This was especially seen in chaat carts. Water served after the lip smacking snack, was not looked into, whether it was boiled before hand or not. Unfiltered water is a potential source of gastroenteritis, especially dangerous if it becomes viral, as it gets contagious.
Consumers have the right to safe and hygienic food, thus the 'Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954' (PFA) was enacted. With time and constant changing scenario of the food catering industry this act was amended thrice (1964, 1976, 1986). It now has additional features where it empowers consumers and voluntary organisations to play more of an active role in ensuring food hygiene and safety.
These rules (food articles to be kept covered; utensils to be clean, made of stainless steel, china or glass, which can be washed thoroughly with boiled water; paper cups, dishes, wooden spoons- not to be reused) can be applied well to a sit-in restaurant, where license is revoked if guidelines are not met.
Food inspection
Consumers hope that food inspectors are doing their job well, keeping diseases at bay. This does not mean, however, that people eating at restaurants are safer. A study done in Kathmandu in 1996 reported more sickness in those eating at restaurants atleast once a week. In addition to this dicy situation occurring in enclosed food spaces, we have the outdoors, more prone to bacterial contamination. No such PFA rule is slammed on road side eateries, take- aways and vendors. We don't see food inspectors doing their rounds of bacterial swab tests of washing buckets and food handlers of vendors.
Sadly they are the ones most badly hit by cholera and typhoid. Infected persons heighten the risk of passing it on to others, becoming a chain, an epidemic and a pandemic.
