Driving factors of food safety standards in India: learning from street-food vendors’ behaviour and attitude

Determination of Quality of Green Chili Sauce Served by Street Food Venders (SFVs) in Delhi (India)

Background:

India is enriched with local culture and street food vending practices. Street Food Joints (SFJs) cater to the demands of economical and on-the-go needs of the consumers. In view of its increasing popularity, the quality and safety aspects of street foods need continuous evaluation.

Objectives:

There are not many studies in our country focusing on the quality determination of sauces being served as an accompaniment to street foods by local venders. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the quality of commonly served green chili sauce.

Methods:

A total of 100 samples in duplicate of green chili sauce were collected from Street Food Joints in five geographical zones of Delhi. The pH, titratable acidity and Total Soluble Solids (TSS) content on salt-free basis was assessed for all samples using standardized estimation techniques given by National regulator (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India-FSSAI).

Results:

The pH of the samples was in the range of 3.1-5.1. The average titratable acidity expressed as acetic acid was 0.67± 0.25 %, which is below the limit of 1% given by FSSAI. The average TSS content (salt-free basis) was found to be 6.23 ± 3.75 % which is well below the regulatory limit of 8%. Only 25% of samples conformed to the national regulatory limits for all parameters.

Conclusion:

Stringent surveillance system which lays emphasis on the training of microentrepreneurs needs to be framed to ensure regulatory compliance amongst small-scale manufacturers of street foods such as green chili sauce.