Fancy dining is great, but there is a fun factor that you can only find in street food. The options are endless, quantities are great and food is easy on your pocket. You can enjoy street food by yourself or share it with your foodie buddies. We all love eating street food, but, here is a word of caution. Before you eat those delicious, mouthwatering snacks, inspect the street cart you are eating from. If you end up eating contaminated food, you could end up ingesting common foodborne pathogens that can lead to fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). We have compiled a list of some important factors to consider before ordering food from a street cart.
7 Important Factors To Check For Street Food Safety And Hygiene:
1. Location
Now, we all know this is a tricky parameter as street food would exist on the streets only. However, we can draw a thin line for when the street cart location is not ok. For example, if there is a collection of waste or trash close to that cart, avoid it. If the cart is on a high-traffic street, the food may be subject to air pollutants. If there are open manholes or collected water around the food cart, avoid it.
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2. Quality Of Ingredients
Do not get mesmerised by catchy cheap prices and dollops of mayonnaise on the food. Ensure you check the quality of the ingredients. For example, if it is a buttery dish, check if the vendor is using real butter or a cheaper substitute that looks like butter but is made from poor-quality vegetable oils instead of milk.
3. Fresh Food
Check if the vendor is preparing hot and fresh food right in front of your eyes. If they are reheating food prepared in advance, it may not be fresh.
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4. Houseflies Or Insects
If houseflies are roaming around the food or raw ingredients at the back, you must avoid eating at that place. Eating street food does not mean you have to eat potentially contaminated food that can increase your risk of food poisoning.
5. Cutlery And Waste Disposal
Check if the food is served with clean cutlery or not. Disposable cutlery may be a better option, as these are not used by any other customer. If steel plates, spoons or glasses are used, check if these are washed properly or not. Similarly, see if there are trash cans to throw disposables, used tissue papers etc. or if customers are dumping trash in the corner.
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6. Chopped Veggies Or Meat In The Open
An important check that many people miss is seeing if the chopped ingredients, whether fruits, vegetables or meat, are properly covered. If they are left in the open, they may already be contaminated and increase your risk of foodborne illness.
7. Gloves And Other Protective Gear
If the vendor is wearing gloves before handling the food, it is a good sign of hygiene. However, it is important that these gloves are switched and regularly changed. They should not be touching the money and the food while wearing the same gloves. Another good sign is if the vendor is wearing a head cover to prevent any hair strands from falling into the food.