Study in Pune Finds Widespread Food-Safety Noncompliance Among Street Food Vendors

The audit measured compliance across four domains defined on the FSSAI checklist: Design and Facilities, Control of Operations, Maintenance and Sanitation, and Personal Hygiene. A total of 170 vendors were assessed.

• 68.8 percent of vendors were classified as noncompliant overall. 13.5 percent needed improvement and 17.6 percent achieved satisfactory compliance. No vendor reached the highest "Compliance-Exemplar" rating.
• The most frequent area of noncompliance was Maintenance and Sanitation (64.1%), followed by Personal Hygiene (61.2%), Control of Operations (53.5%), and Design and Facilities (42.9%).

• Handwashing facilities were adequate at 32.9% of vendor sites.

• Only 14.7% washed raw ingredients with potable water before cooking.
• 17.1% regularly checked cooking oil quality.

• Positive finding: 83.5% of vendors complied with thorough cooking requirements.

The researchers used generalized linear models to explore associations between vendor characteristics and compliance scores. Key associations reported in the study:

• Lower income was associated with lower scores for Maintenance and Sanitation, Control of Operations, Design and Facilities, and overall audit scores.
• Absence of pre-placement medical examination correlated with lower Maintenance and Sanitation scores.
• Working as a cook was associated with lower Design and Facilities and overall audit scores.
• Only 21.8% of vendors reported having received any food safety training.

The study authors called for targeted interventions aimed at the observed gaps. Recommended measures included regular food safety training for vendors, strengthened inspections and regulatory monitoring, mandatory medical examinations, and improvements to basic infrastructure: reliable access to safe water, functional handwashing facilities, and appropriate waste disposal.

The investigators cautioned that the study was cross-sectional and limited to vendors in a single field practice area of Pune. The design does not establish causality and the findings may not generalize to other cities or regions.

The assessment documents widespread, measurable gaps in street-vendor food-safety practices in this Pune sample, with infrastructure shortfalls and low training coverage prominent. Addressing those gaps would require both behavioral interventions (training, medical checks) and investments in basic services (water, handwashing, waste management), together with ongoing inspection and monitoring.