Street food poses health risk to students

DOT Desk
Street food mostly sold in front of educational institutions in the capital and elsewhere in the country poses health risk to students as food sellers often do not maintain proper hygiene, reports The Daily Sun. The mouth-watering street food, which contains various types of bacteria, is mainly consumed by students of schools and colleges and teenagers due to its cheap price and taste.
While visiting several schools and colleges in the capital, the daily sun correspondent found that various street food items like velpuri, fuchka, jhalmuri and pickles were selling like hot cakes in front of the institutions.
According to medical sources, these unhygienic foods are the causes of diarrhoea, pneumonia, urinary tract infection and fever in Bangladesh.
Though street food is being sold in front of educational institutions under the noses of food safety authorities, no measure is taken to stop selling these unhygienic foods.
When asked why they take street food, most of the students replied that roadside foods are quite tasty and cheap.
Ananta, a ninth-grade student, admitted that they are not much aware of the hygiene of street food and they often take food from roadside shops due for its cheap rate and mouth-watering taste.
“These foods are very tasty. All of my friends and me regularly take street food. We often get sick but don’t know the exact reason,” the student said.
Several health studies found that 70-80 percent of velpuri, fuchka and jhalmuri sold at school gates are contaminated with e coli and faecal bacteria that are responsible for diarrhoea.
According to a study by the Institute of Public Health, the street food sold in front of the capital’s schools is found ‘grossly contaminated with faecal materials and pathogenic microorganisms’.
It found 32.25 percent of velpuri and 6.5 percent of jhalmuri contaminated with both e coli and salmonella, which cause diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps.
It found 75 percent of velpuri and 99 percent of fuchka and jhalmuri and 10 percent of pickles had unacceptable levels of yeast and mold, responsible for causing allergic reactions, as well as poisoning and fungal infections.
Health experts, guardians and teachers said the government agencies like two city corporations, food safety authorities and BSTI should keep a watchful eye on sale of street food.