Sale of cut fruit goes unchecked

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 30

The number of patients visiting the OPDs of hospitals complaining of stomach infections has increased over the past few days. With temperatures soaring, doctors suggest keeping off spicy food and avoiding fruits which have been kept cut for long in the open and hygienic juices.

Cut fruits being sold in various localities of the city are posing serious health hazards. Sellers do not adopt hygienic measures or cover fruits with nets to keep away dust and insects. Besides this, gol gappas, ice lollies and fruit juice prepared under unhygienic conditions are being sold in the city without any fear of the law.

Although the Health Department is regularly conducting raids and educating people not to sell or consume cut fruits, such advisories seem to be falling on deaf ears. Residents of the city are at a risk of falling prey to water-borne diseases because of numerous roadside eateries selling unhealthy food. It is going unchecked by the authorities concerned and giving rise to contagious diseases like typhoid, cholera and gastroenteritis.

It is seen that a few of these eateries procure contaminated water for cooking, washing and serving purposes from roadside municipality taps, which are often surrounded by garbage. The eatables are not properly covered after cooking. It was also found that vendors were using unfit water for washing the wares. With a very small amount of water they wash utensils the whole day and do not bother to change it. Containers kept for storing drinking water were mostly rusty and made of unhygienic and cheap plastic. Consumption of these things could cause serious ailments.

A roadside vendor near Fauji chowk was taken by surprise when asked whether he was aware that selling cut fruit was not allowed. The vendor said he was selling cut fruit from the past many years and nobody had told him about any such ban. “Summer is the time when one easily contracts stomach infections. Eating spicy and non-vegetarian heavy foods should also be avoided. In addition to this, too many sauces should not be used for seasoning as they are high on calories and leave you feeling bloated and sluggish as some sauces also have too much Monosodium Glutamate and salt. Instead one should keep the meals nutritious and natural,” says diet and nutrition expert Shreya.

Dr Ripudamanjit Singh Kalra said, “The number of patients complaining about stomach infections have increased these days. Eating uncovered and unhygienic food sold by roadside vendors can cause health issues.” Eating fruits and light food is good for the health in summers, but these foods should be properly cooked in hygienic environment, he added.