Union Health Minister JP Nadda Leads Training for 1,000 Street Food Vendors in Delhi
New Delhi, July 20: Union Health Minister JP Nadda chaired a training and awareness programme for 1,000 street food vendors, organized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at Vigyan Bhawan. He was joined by Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.
Training Highlights
The one-day training covered essential topics such as personal hygiene, food handling, cooking practices, and waste management. Vendors were also educated on the Food Safety and Standards Act, focusing on guidelines for licensing and registration of food businesses.
Key Announcements
JP Nadda emphasized the importance of training and re-orientation for street food vendors. He encouraged them to utilize the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi) programme to enhance their businesses. He also announced that the FSSAI would waive the Rs 100 registration fee for street food vendors to promote more registrations.
Nadda introduced the ‘Street Safe’ Rapid Testing Kit for vendors attending the Food Safety and Certification (FoSTaC) training. He urged food delivery platforms to support street food vendors by providing user-friendly technology solutions without financial burdens.
Additional Initiatives
Nadda launched an ‘SOP for Street Food Vendors’ and inaugurated a dedicated portal for them to share success stories and access food safety resources. A video on the usage of oil, milk, and waste disposal was also released. Vendors received testing kits for instant adulteration testing.
Speeches and Commitments
Anupriya Patel highlighted the cultural significance of street food in India and stressed the importance of maintaining hygiene and cleanliness. Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary, emphasized the global popularity of Indian street food and the need for food safety. He announced that FSSAI plans to train one lakh street food vendors in the next year through its FoSTaC programme.
The initiative aims to enhance the knowledge and practices of street food vendors, ensuring better food safety standards and public health. Vendors pledged to keep their food, equipment, and surroundings clean.
Conclusion
This initiative marks a significant step in FSSAI’s efforts to enhance food safety across the nation, building on the successful training of over 18 lakh food handlers since 2017.
Doubts Revealed
Union Health Minister -: The Union Health Minister is a person in the Indian government responsible for health-related issues and policies in the country.
JP Nadda -: JP Nadda is an Indian politician who has served as the Union Health Minister. He works to improve health services in India.
Street Food Vendors -: Street food vendors are people who sell food on the streets, often from small carts or stalls. They provide quick and tasty food to people on the go.
Delhi -: Delhi is the capital city of India. It is a large city with many people and lots of street food vendors.
FSSAI -: FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It is an organization that makes sure the food we eat is safe and healthy.
Hygiene -: Hygiene means keeping things clean to prevent illness. For food vendors, it means making sure the food and the place where it is made are clean.
Food Handling -: Food handling refers to the way food is prepared, cooked, and served. Proper food handling ensures that the food is safe to eat.
Waste Management -: Waste management involves properly disposing of garbage and waste materials. It helps keep the environment clean and safe.
Registration Fee -: A registration fee is a small amount of money that vendors usually have to pay to get permission to sell food. In this case, it was Rs 100.
Street Safe Rapid Testing Kit -: The ‘Street Safe’ Rapid Testing Kit is a tool that helps quickly check if the food is safe to eat. It helps vendors ensure their food is healthy.
Anupriya Patel -: Anupriya Patel is an Indian politician who works on health and family welfare issues. She supports making street food safe.
Apurva Chandra -: Apurva Chandra is a government official who works on labor and employment issues. He also supports safe street food practices.
Cultural Significance -: Cultural significance means something is important to the traditions and way of life of a group of people. Street food is a big part of Indian culture.
One Lakh -: One lakh is a term used in India to mean 100,000. FSSAI plans to train 100,000 street food vendors next year.
Nationwide -: Nationwide means across the whole country. In this case, it means improving food safety standards all over India.