Surat: Amid rising summer temperatures and growing health concerns, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has intensified its crackdown on street food vendors for a second consecutive day. On Saturday, following Friday’s raids, the health department targeted panipuri vendors in various areas including Udhna, Puna-Kumbharia, and Pandesara, uncovering alarming lapses in food safety standards.
During the inspections, SMC officials discovered that the masala used in panipuris was being prepared using rotten potatoes and substandard chickpeas. These ingredients were being boiled in plastic bags, raising serious health concerns due to the potential release of toxic chemicals when plastic is heated.
The raids revealed that many of these panipuri stalls are operating from slum areas where hygiene conditions are severely lacking. The poor sanitary environment, especially in the current summer season, significantly increases the risk of water- and food-borne illnesses.
SMC officials immediately destroyed the contaminated food materials found during the raids and seized several carts operating under unhygienic conditions. Vendors were sternly warned that if they fail to maintain proper hygiene and food quality, strict legal action will follow.
As per agency report, the health department has urged the public to avoid consuming panipuri and other street foods that appear unsanitary or are prepared in open and unregulated environments. This precaution, they stated, is crucial to protecting oneself and one's family from infections during the hot summer months.
