After by-laws, Corporation now sensitises vendors to hygiene

“Recently, we conducted a special session to sensitise vendors on keeping their shops clean. Many of them participated in the meeting and assured of maintaining hygiene,” a Corporation official said.

When asked the reason for conducting the session, the official said that many street vendors prepare food products in an unhygienic manner and leave the food exposed. “We should implore them to maintain hygiene so as to protect the customer’s health. Such meetings will continue,” he added.

It is learnt that the vendors were advised by the officials to keep their heads covered and to use gloves while preparing and serving food. The officials also warned vendors of the action the food safety department and the civic body would take against those selling unhygienic food. The meeting was coordinated by the recently constituted town vending committees.

Meanwhile, Corporation Commissioner D Karthikeyan, during a stakeholders’ meeting pertaining to the regulation of vendors along Marina Beach last week, said that the sellers should restrain from using gas stoves on the beach to make food and from selling edible products that are pre-cooked.

The civic officials have also introduced to the vendors bio-degradable single-use cups, plates and other products as an alternative to the banned plastic items at the meeting. “Apart from the unhygienic food sold at roadside shops, the usage of banned plastic items is a bigger issue. Vendors should try to use bio-degradable items,” another official said.