“Street foods are major culprits behind summertime gastrointestinal diseases like acute gastroenteritis, dysentery, viral hepatitis and jaundice,” says Dr. Sudeep Khanna, a Delhi-based gastroenterologist.

But what makes them so unsafe? Food safety experts say factors like contaminated water, unhygienic storage and preparation, as well as, poor handling cause the street foods to spoil. Does this mean that you should deprive yourself of chaats and golgappas altogether?

Perhaps not.

Our easy guide brings you seven street foods that you may lust for and enjoy without falling ill :

GOLGAPPAS



What goes into them: Boiled potatoes and chickpeas, water, coriander leaves, spices, tamarind, oil, wheat flour.

Health alert: “Boiled potatoes get infected very fast as they are good bases for microorganisms to thrive,” says food safety expert Dr. Pushpa Sundararaj, Delhi-based food and nutrition expert.

Another major problem is the water. Vendors normally use contaminated water. But even if they get clean municipal water, it is often contaminated when stored under poor conditions. The chances of water getting contaminated go up as it is almost never boiled.

The oil used for frying the golgappas is, often, of dubious quality. “The oil should not be heated beyond 200˚C. But since there is no thermostat in the karhai used, it gets overheated all too often. Overheated oil allows the formation of various decomposition products, many of which are toxic and carcinogenic (cancer-causing),” explains Sundararaj. Moreover, vendors keep reusing the same oil. This deteriorates its quality further.

Safety tips: Inquire about the brand of oil used by the vendor. “The oil used for frying the golgappas should be of good quality, not vanaspati which is high in trans-fat content. Ensure that the same oil is not used repeatedly for frying,” suggests Dr K L Radhakrishnan, chief editor, All India Food Processors’ Association.

The water used in the golgappas should be of good, potable quality. Ask the vendor not to use his hands for dispensing it. If he must, suggest that he uses clean, transparent gloves. The prepared water should ideally be stored in a covered container with a tap at the bottom. Going to a vendor who uses packaged water is obviously your best bet.

“Suggest that the vendor boils and mashes the potato and chickpeas in batches so that they remain fresh until the end of the day,” advises Dr Indira Chakravarty, former director and dean, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata.


ICE LOLLIES

What goes into them: Ice, water, colour, flavour, sweeteners.

Health alert: Once again, water is the main cause of concern. However, colours and sweeteners used in ice lollies might also prove to be harmful. “Unpermitted colours used in the lollies may expose you to the risk of cancer,” warns Sundararaj. “Even if vendors use permitted colours, mostly they have no idea of usage limits and make no effort to maintain them, which is a serious problem,” she adds.

Safety tips: Make sure the water/source of the ice is clean. Check if the ice chamber or ice trolley is clean too. Ask where the ice is sourced from. Ask the vendor if he is using permitted colours.


KULFI

What goes into it: Milk, fruit pulp (in mango kulfi), sweetener.

Health alert: “If the kulfi vendor uses unpasteurised milk, it may prove to be dangerous for your health,” points out Sundararaj. Poor quality fruit pulp used in the preparation is also bad for your stomach.

Safety tips: Ask the vendor to use pasteurised milk. Check the quality of the fruit pulp and how it’s made. Raw materials and water used should be of good quality. They should be mixed well and frozen properly.


CHAAT



What goes into it: Curd, wheat flour (papri), oil, boiled potato, chutneys, coriander.

Health alert: If the quality of the oil used for frying the papris is poor, you may be exposed to carcinogens and various ailments. “Reheated oil leads to accumulation of fatty acid-derived toxin, 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (HNE), in high amounts. HNE has been linked to an increased risk of medical conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, liver diseases and cancer,” says Khanna. The boiled potato might also be another source of infection as it spoils easily in the heat. “Coriander is often a common route to contamination. It could harbour a lot of bacteria as a result of the conditions under which it is cultivated,” emphasises Sundararaj.

Safety tips: Check the quality of the chutneys. They tend to spoil fast in this weather too. Ask if the vendor has used fresh potato and good quality oil. The curd also needs to be fresh and not rancid.


CUT FRUITS

What goes into them: Lemon juice, spices, black salt.

Health alert: When fruits are cut and kept out in the open, they can be contaminated by dust and insects and their chances of contamination go up because they are uncooked.

“Vendors mostly use dirty knives and chopping boards to cut the fruits, which aggravates the conditions all the more,” says Sundararaj.

Safety tips: “Make sure that the vendor cuts the fruits in front of you, just before serving them,” suggests Chakravarty. Ensure that the fruits are thoroughly washed in potable water, peeled and cut into pieces using a clean stainless steel knife. “Cut fruits should be covered and stored. Ask for a clean plastic plate or bowl,” says Radhakrishnan.


JAL JEERA

What goes into it: Water, cumin, black salt and other spices.

Health alert: If the water that goes into jal jeera is contaminated, you are exposed to the risk of a range of waterborne diseases. In case uncooked spices are used in the drink, the chances of fungal contamination are high too.

Safety tips: Insist on the usage of packaged and well-covered water. Check the spices for fungal contamination. Make sure the serving glasses are washed with fresh water and wiped dry with clean cloth.


FRUIT/SUGARCANE JUICE

What goes into it: Fruits, ice, black salt, spices.

Health alert: It’s the water used in the ice that is a big cause of worry. “The mixer that the vendors use is often a source of contamination as it is not properly washed,” points out Sundararaj. “In case of sugarcane juice, lubricants used in the cane crusher may prove to be dangerous if not washed away,” alerts Chakravarty.

Safety tips: “The emphasis here again is on thorough washing of fruits and peeled sugarcane in clean water before extracting the juice,” advises Radhakrishnan. Ask how often the juice extractor or the cane crusher is cleaned and how the surroundings are kept free from flies.


It is impossible to resist the temptation of cool street foods on a moist, rainy day. There’s an immense temptation to pick up something cool off the streets quickly when you are out shopping or reaching places. But you ought to know that these gastronomic delights can turn into gastrointestinal disasters in no time when served under unhygienic conditions.

So, stay wise and give your temptations a healthy twist.



- This article has been contributed by