The Union Health Ministry and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have come together to encourage all states and union territories in India to establish 100 food streets in 100 districts, promoting the development of street food culture in the country.
This initiative has been undertaken by the government to ensure the implementation of hygienic and secure food practices.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and his Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs counterpart, Manoj Joshi, issued a joint statement underscoring the importance of citizens’ access to safe and hygienic food for their overall health and well-being.
“Safe food practices not only promote ‘eat right campaign’ and food safety, but will improve hygiene, credibility of local food businesses, boost local employment, tourism and in turn, the economy. It also leads to a cleaner and greener environment,” they said.
The ministry has declared this initiative as a pilot project, intended to set an example for other food streets. Its objective is to promote safe and healthy food practices among food establishments and the local community, thereby mitigating the incidence of foodborne illnesses and enhancing public health outcomes.
“In Indian society, street food has long played an important role and is abundantly available. They symbolise the region’s storied culinary legacy. In addition to supplying millions of people with a low-cost daily diet, street food benefits the tourism industry by directly employing a large number of people”, the government release said.
The Union Health Ministry has expressed concerns over food safety and hygiene standards in street food shops and hubs. The rise in urbanisation has led to greater accessibility to food, but it has also magnified the problem of food contamination and associated health hazards stemming from unhygienic and unsafe food handling practices.
The statement declared that states and union territories will receive financial aid for the initiative in the form of INR 1 crore per district or food street to address any significant shortcomings.
The National Health Mission (NHM) will provide financial aid in the ratio of 60:40 or 90:10 for the establishment of 100 food streets in 100 districts throughout the country, subject to the condition that the food streets adhere to the branding standards outlined by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), according to the statement.
The National Health Mission (NHM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, will execute the initiative with technical assistance from the FSSAI.