Many people are used to having street foods in the capital city of Dhaka and other metropolitan cities and district towns across the country. Street foods are very popular among the people living in urban areas for their low prices, but such foods are not always safe for consumption as in most cases, they are prepared not maintaining safety standards, say experts.
Street foods are prepared with unhygienic handling and sold in open air in all the metropolitan cities and district towns. There is an alarming level of harmful bacteria in street foods selling in different parts of the capital city, says a recent study. It is a matter of great concern that street foods containing bacteria are known to cause various gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea.
Drinking of polluted water, use of dirty towels, unclean hands, and dusty environment contaminate the foods selling in open air. Lack of awareness among the vendors about hygine is the key reason for contaminating street foods.
Experts say that various germs enter street foods for using contaminated water, dirty towels and unclean hands. The street foods, which have a high level of Escherichia coli (e-coli), salmonella spp and vibrio spp bacteria, include chatpati, chhola-muri and sugarcane juice, chickpea mix, sandwich and aloe vera juice.
Alarming level of harmful
bacteria in street foods selling in
different parts
of the capital city.
Ensuring access to safe food is not only imperative for the public health but also a prerequisite for the country’s development.
All those who are engaged in producing, manufacturing, processing and marketing food should not play foul with public health. They should reach safe food to the consumers in the greater interest of the country. At present, the country has almost attained food security, but we must ensure food safety for the people to build a healthy society.
It is urgently needed to create mass awareness to fight ill practice of food adulteration. We should keep in mind that adulterated and contaminated foods pose a serious threat to public health.
The authorities concerned must take stern measures against food adulteration. Law enforcers alone will never be able to check food adultration. People from all walks of life should come forward to combat the social ill for the sake of the public health.
