SHILLONG: The Nestlé India in collaboration with Commissionerate of Food Safety Meghalaya, Shillong and National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) have launched a project, “Serve Safe Food” in the state under which 500 street food vendors will be given one-day training.
Speaking to reporters at the launching programme on Tuesday, director Corporate Affairs, Nestle India, Sanjay Khajuria said Nestlé started this initiative in 2016 in Goa and has gone to over 12 states in the country and Meghalaya is the 13th state.
Stating that the company wanted to start something new he said, “Our purpose is to enhance quality of food. We will be training in Shillong, Tura and Sohra to provide safe and hygienic food to the customers. The focus is on vendors who sell food in major tourists’ spots. The vendors are selected by NASVI.”
He added that the response of the vendors in other states have been positive as they came to know that the income of the vendors increased post the training and they have propagated safe food habit to their families and friends as well.
Khajururia informed that NASVI has created a WhatsApp group as a follow up on the training programme.
Speaking at the event, Health Minister A.L. Hek said to serve safe food depends on the attitude of the vendor.
“We must give clean cups, crockeries to customers and utensil should be kept clean, to attract customers. But then there are some who smoke and chew betel-nut while serving food which does not look appetising,” he said.
With the training programme set to create a tone to serve better quality food to the customers, Hek added that vendors should not remain vendors but become industrialists.
Sangeeta Singh, Head, Street Food Program, NASVI said this training is an integral part of vending and has so far trained 15,000 vendors to inculcate the practice of safe food habit and aimed to train other food vendors in other parts of the country.
At the programme, they unveil the mannequin as the ideal vendor.
