The Hindu Editorial Analysis
24 November 2025
Safe Processing Matters More Than Zesty Flavours
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)
Topic : GS Paper III: Food processing, health and nutrition, food safety regulation
Context
India’s vibrant food culture, long celebrated for its diversity and street-food traditions, is facing a crisis of trust. A series of food adulteration cases has raised public concern about hygiene, safety, and regulatory enforcement. The editorial highlights that food safety must take precedence over flavour, emphasizing stronger food processing standards, traceability, and accountability across both formal and informal food sectors.
The Problem: Food Safety Crisis
- In July 2024, raids on pani puri stalls in Chennai exposed unhygienic practices, including contaminated water and reused chutneys.
- Similar incidents across India underline the unsafe informal food ecosystem, which employs millions but lacks regulatory oversight.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for food regulation, but the informal sector remains largely outside its effective reach.
Key Issues Highlighted
- Informal Sector Risks:
- Most unorganised vendors lack infrastructure, training, and awareness of hygiene standards.
- Weak enforcement and scattered regulation lead to inconsistent safety practices.
- Packaged Food Paradox:
- Packaged foods follow stricter traceability and labelling norms, but are not immune to health risks such as preservative misuse or misleading nutrition claims.
- However, they maintain better regulatory compliance due to structured oversight.
- Health Hazards:
- Reuse of cooking oil, contaminated raw materials, and unhygienic conditions in small eateries cause outbreaks of food poisoning and gastrointestinal diseases.
- The National Burden of Diseases Study (NBD 2024) attributes nearly 12 lakh annual illnesses to unsafe food consumption.
Steps Taken
- FSSAI Initiatives:
- Introduced certification and training programmes for street vendors under schemes like the Eat Right India Movement and Clean Street Food Hub (CSFH).
- Municipal Efforts:
- Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched structured hygiene training and waste management programs for hawkers.
These initiatives promote hygienic handling, contamination control, and safe disposal of waste.
The Way Forward
- Strengthen Enforcement and Awareness:
- Integrate hygiene modules into urban local body training.
- Increase collaboration with self-help groups and cooperatives to train small food vendors.
- Promote Technology and Traceability:
- Use digital QR codes, smart packaging, and AI-based monitoring to ensure real-time quality assurance.
- Encourage Shared Responsibility:
- Public awareness campaigns should create consumer demand for safe food, compelling compliance through market pressure.
Conclusion
“The romance of Indian food culture must not eclipse the science of food safety.”
India’s food industry must balance cultural pride with public health. A robust safety ecosystem—rooted in regulation, education, and accountability—is essential for transforming India into a global food processing leader that ensures safety without sacrificing taste.