Safety of food sold at roadside food stall. Discuss.

Public awareness of personal health has grown prodigiously over the last few decades. Health is the functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a persons mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain. Health is a very important and is a big aspect in a humans life. Therefore, clean and safe food intake is one of the pivotal ways in keeping our body healthy. According to statistics, more and more people eat food from roadside food stall every day. This is due to the cheaper price of the food sold at the roadside food stalls. Furthermore, most women are working nowadays, so they do not have enough time to prepare home cooked food for their family. Hence, they would buy the food from the roadside food stalls.

Roadside food is ready-to-eat food or drinks which are obtainable from roadside food stalls; often a makeshift or portable stalls. The consumption of food from these stalls potentially increases the risks of diseases caused by a wide variety of pathogens from several sources in and around the stalls. The safety of food sold at the roadside food stalls should be a major concern for the public, public health officers and inspectors. They should take necessary steps to stamp out this problem before it gets out of hand, A stitch in time, saves nine. There are several reasons to support the above statement.

One of the major reasons food from roadside food stalls is not so clean or hygienic is because it is exposed to vehicles exhaust fumes and roadside dust. The dust which is about three inches thick on the street accumulates on the food which are served to the customers. More often than not, food from roadside food stalls is not covered. Dirt, dust and bacteria may land on both cooked and uncooked food, the water stored and utensils in the stalls. When these pollutants get into the customers body through the food and drinks they consume, they may expose themselves to risks of contracting diseases such as waterborne diseases which are caused mainly by pathogenic microorganisms that are most commonly transmitted through contaminated fresh water. This may endanger their health.

Roadside food is also not hygienic as most would not have supply of fresh piped water. Water stored in unclean containers like drums, pails and basins are used for cooking and washing in these stalls. These containers may not be covered properly. Water which is used at roadside stalls is not pure underground water. Water used to wash cups and plates is recycled again and again. It is said that recycled water is proven to be dangerous to humans health by the world famous scientists. The basins itself are rusted. Thus, the cleanliness of kitchen utensils and water is questionable.

In addition, roadside food stalls are situated merely a few feet away from several large overflowing garbage bins. Sometimes animals such as rats, cats, dogs and cockroaches which can be seen sniffing for food at such bins also come into contact with unwashed plates, cups and cutlery placed in basins beside the stalls. These animals with all the possibilities may carry mites, germs, bacillus, microbe and diseases. Here again, patrons of roadside stalls further imperil their health when they buy food from such places.

Meanwhile, the roadside food stalls have no refrigeration supply. The roadside vendors would just serve the food which was cooked the day before. At this point of view, the food would be stale, rancid and no longer fresh. Hence, the patrons would suffer side effects such as food poisoning and diarrhoea if they consume such food.

Besides that, it is common to see food stalls in front of laundry mats and motor car workshops which emit fuel, smoke and waste water. Uncovered food both cooked and uncooked, drinks ,cutlery ,kitchen utensils and water for kitchen use are exposed to these pollutants which may jeopardize ones health when ingested through food and drinks. So if the environment of roadside food stalls itself is dangerous to health, the food from such stalls is clearly precarious to the wellbeing of the consumers.

Moreover, food which are sold at roadside food stalls is not so healthy as the oil used in cooking is very cheap and not that healthy. Some roadside stalls used oil which has been recycled. So, a lot chemicals which can be found in the oil will endanger the consumer of the food. Either the patrons gets food poisoning or be infected to various diseases.

In conclusion, roadside food stall owners must ensure that the food sold in their premises are safe. Public health officers and inspectors must be responsible in carrying out routine and regular checks to ensure that both the food and the environment of such places are clean. Other than that, the responsibility of the roadside food industry is not only to provide nutritious food to the public but also to ensure that it is microbiologically safe and wholesome. Since the popularity of roadside foods is increasing, there is a need to assess the quality of roadside foods. Last but not least, consumers and customers of food sold at roadside food stalls must always remember, Prevention is better than cure.