Why We Should Avoid Eating Food From Roadside Vendors? 2024

In this article we are going to talk about the Why we should Avoid Eating food from Roadside Vendors? Street food is often seen as a representation of a particular place. People often feel like in order to experience the true taste of a country or region they are in, they must eat street food. Street food is often very hard to resist and you will find massive crowds near street vendors. These street vendors serve food that one could not get anywhere else. However, there are certain factors that must be considered with regard to the same while talking about hygiene and cleanliness. A few reasons are given below as to why one must try and avoid street food.

9 Reasons why we should avoid eating food from Roadside Vendors

The ten 10 Reasons why we should avoid eating food from Roadside Vendors are listed below in detail:

1. Unhygienic

The food that is served on the street is usually kept uncovered and open to all the pollution, dust and dirt. The uncovered food is also exposed to house flies, mosquitos and other disease carrying insects that can in turn transmit the diseases to the consumers. This unhygienic state the food is kept in is very dangerous for the body. Therefore, if consumed regularly or on a daily basis street food will slowly damage the functioning of the body and result in severe diseases and other harmful conditions that can also prove to be fatal.The poisonous gases that are emitted from vehicles are also deposited in the food and if we consume the food, it transfers to the body and damages the functioning of the body.

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2. Ingredients

Often the ingredients or the raw materials used prepare this street food is very unhygienic and come from unreliable sources. Often the vegetables, fruits and other ingredients and raw materials are soiled or unclean and most vendors do not bother washing or cleaning them. Germs and disease causing bacteria easily settles on most food items especially organic and raw materials. Moreover, street vendors prepare the food in very unclean and unhygienic conditions. The surfaces that the food comes in contact with are barely ever sanitised and carry a lot of bacteria that can enter our bodies and damage them if we consume this food.

3. Unhealthy

The food that is served by street vendors is often unhealthy and high in sodium and fats. Most street vendors sell fast food or food that can be made quickly. This often includes deep fried foods that do not include any health benefits or nutrients. Therefore, consuming these foods on a daily basis results in damage of the body as it is extremely unhealthy as well as highly contaminated. These foods lack the vitamins and minerals that our body requires and in turn contain fats that destroys the body.

4. Old Food

Most of the food that is served by roadside vendors is not fresh. Street vendors often serve old food that might have gone stale so as to not waste any food. Even though we might not realise it immediately, consuming stale, old, expired food can greatly harm our organs and our body as a whole. The human body requires fresh, healthy food to survive and consuming stale food causes the body to break down. Consuming expired food can cause food poisoning and other stomach infections that may even prove too be fatal.

5. Causes inconvenience to other vehicles

Most street vendors cause inconvenience for other vehicles and other drivers on the streets. They often stand by the roads and if they are near a turning and are not visible to other drivers, they can be the cause of many accidents that are caused on the streets. Most street vendors station their stalls on the street and set up a place for their customers as well which in turn makes it difficult for other drivers to drive and if they are in a hurry, they cause a lot of havoc and chaos.

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6. Environmental pollution

Environmental Pollution is one of the biggest fights our planet is facing and street vendors often contribute towards making this battle tougher to fight. The consumption of street food requires utensils and often, plastic plates, bowls or cups are used to serve street food. The large use of plastic poses a threat to the environment because it is difficult to dispose off these items. Street vendors often do not dispose off the waste that is produced efficiently and as result, it causes pollution and unclean surroundings.

On the other hand, because most street vendors have stoves or fires that are uncovered and out in the open on the street, smoke and gases that are emitted from the same greatly contributes towards the pollution of the air and also disturbs the drivers. Therefore, so as to in some way or the other stop pollution, or at least reduce it, one must refrain from eating from street vendors.

7. Diseases

High consumption of street food is extremely dangerous as it can cause several diseases. These foods are made out of ingredients that are difficult for the body to break down and digest. Many street vendors add certain salts to increase the shelf life of their food and this damages the body to a great extent. Even the vendors themselves barely sanitise or clean their hands or wear gloves while preparing the food we consume.

They often keep their surroundings and themselves as well as the ingredients and utensils they use to cook the food very untidy and thus they carry disease carrying bacteria ad germs. In a similar manner, because these foods remain uncovered, they are exposed to disease carrying insects and bacteria that cannot be seen with the naked eye but it causes immense damage to the body and causes diseases that can even claim the life of a person.

8. On the go

Even though most junk food or fast food is easy to eat and ca be eaten on the go, some street foods cannot be eaten on the go and needs to be eaten near the vendor itself. This requires more time and makes it difficult for the consumer to eat it on the go. An example of this kind of food could be pain puri or puck, a street food that is popular in the Indian subcontinent. Most street foods comprise heave sauces, spices, dressings and fillings that make it difficult to eat.

9. Salts, Sugars and Oils

Most street foods are high on salts, sugars and there oil content is towards the greater end of the scale. To increase the shelf life of the food, most vendors use a larger amount of sodium so as to make it last. A great amount of salt is also incorporated in these foods so as to make it tastier. Street food is often deep fried in oil and quite often, the same oil is used repeatedly for days on end so as to save oil. This however is very unhealthy and consuming large amounts of street food can severely damage the functioning of the body to a great extent.

Street food is something that is authentic and is true to a region. It is true that one will not get the food that is sold by street vendors anywhere else. Eating from roadside vendors is often called an experience and the above mentioned factors may not be true for all the roadside vendors. However, the reasons that are mentioned in this article are just to make readers and consumers aware of the happenings and the realities that are involved in the process of making and selling street food or food from roadside vendors. It is very important to be aware and be careful. Often people get addicted to street food and consume it on a daily basis.

One might not realize the ill effects of the same initially. However, these foods can slowly damage the body and slowly tear it down. The ill effects and dangers will come to your attention over time and it might be too late. There is no harm in eating from roadside vendors once in a while, maybe once a month or twice a month. Eating unhygienic, unhealthy food on a daily basis will result in severe diseases and infections.

Certain foods contain fats and oils that get deposited on our organs and cause immense damage to the body. As a result, in order to save oneself and the environment, one must make a choice as to whether one must consume such food or not. One step that can be taken to improve these conditions is to spread awareness about the dangers that the consumption of these foods pose.

Quite often, even the roadside vendors themselves are unaware of the threats their food poses to people and the environment. Better conditions and spaces can be provided to these vendors that will not cause traffic and pollution problems. The vendors can use gloves and clean utensils to cook the food and use organic, biodegradable materials to serve the food.

There are several steps that can be taken to improve the conditions that roadside food is prepared and served in so as to better the conditions of the vendors and the consumers.

Why We Should Avoid Eating Food From Roadside Vendors?