CAMPAIGN SUCCESSES
In 2003 and 2005, CI's global food programme studied the street food sector in Latin America, Africa and Asia, and produced concrete and effective results.
Highlights
A regional meeting to improve food safety for consumers
A seminar on ‘Food Safety and Codex for Consumers’, held in the Philippines in November 2003, enabled research partners to present findings on street food vending.
Eighty representatives from consumer groups, university, community, industry, government (inter-agency) and agricultural sectors attended the meeting organised by CI, the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific office and the Philippines Department of Health.
Participants discussed policies, strategies, enforcement and actions by industry and consumers to prevent and control food-borne diseases.
Bringing members together to strengthen the consumer movement
In India, CI brought together the Federation of Consumer Organisations of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (FEDCOT) and the Citizen, Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG).
These two groups continue to work together lobbying for policies and programmes to ensure the protection of livelihoods and consumer safety in the street food sector.
In addition, the Consumer Guidance Society of India organised a seminar on food safety nutrition and street food vending after attending a CI-organised workshop in New Delhi. This seminar resulted in commitments by the Indian consumer movement to initiate work to improve the safety of street food.
Organising a side event at an international meeting and strengthening policies on street food
Nearly 100 government officials attended a side event on the safety of Street food at the FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety in Malaysia (May 2004).
Action plans on street food were presented, stressing the need to develop policies and programmes with a balance between food safety and livelihoods.
It found that for street food vending to contribute to the betterment of livelihoods in Africa and Asia, enterprise development with particular focus on facilities and infrastructure, should be developed.
The Philippines National Food Safety Committee was subsequently tasked with formulating policies on street food. Participants in the workshop recommended a review of the existing Code on Sanitation and Rules and Regulations of implementation.
Organising a street fair – Street food Festival, Elliot’s Beach (October 2005)
The Consumers, Citizens and Civic action Group (CAG) of India, supported by CI, organised a food safety and hygiene training programme for 30 street vendors in Adyar, Besant Nagar, Mylapore and Manedveli.
The Centre for Nutrition of the Women’s Christian College and the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in Chennai (Madras) India, assisted in the training programmes. CAG tackled food safety issues specific to the participating vendors by observing them at work.
Vendor training is an ongoing CAG project.
The good practices adopted by the street vendors were showcased at a food festival on Elliot’s beach. Twenty of the 30 trained vendors participated in the festival and they displayed their new food safety and hygiene practices learnt during the workshop.
People from different ages and classes enjoyed the food and gave the vendors pass grades on their evaluation sheets.
