Cocktail concocted by unhygienic hands and contaminated water could take a severe health toll

With the sun breathing down our necks, one could be forgiven for setting aside health hygiene concerns to gulp down a glass of ice-cooled fruit juice from the ubiquitous street vendor. However, the microbial cocktail concocted by unhygienic hands and contaminated water could take a severe health toll, warn health experts.

Lack of hygiene at street vended fruit juice stalls is apparent from the presence of flies, but summer heat and low-cost attracts consumers, risking gastrointestinal infections. Health professionals also warn that water contamination is a major concern that a consumer cannot ascertain though hygiene or lack of it can be ascertained.

'The water is contaminated'

“The water used for ice-making is contaminated. The ice used commercially at fruit juice stalls is transported in unhygienic manner,” said Dr. T.L.V.D Prasad, surgical gastroenterologist at Yashoda Hospitals. A study, recently published in the Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry found bacterial contamination in 39 of the 40 samples collected from Dilsukhnagar during 2013. The samples were tested at the Food Toxicology Lab at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN). The samples collected included grape, sweet lime, pineapple and sapota. Researchers found E.coli, Shigella and Salmonella in the samples.

“In summer months, we usually see increased incidence of dysentery, hepatitis A, E and typhoid. Many of these infections are also attributed to poor hand hygiene after defecation,” Dr. Prasad added.

Food-borne pathogens there

A comprehensive study of street-vended fruit juices, published by NIN last year, also found food-borne pathogens in the preparation area and the glasses used for serving juice.

The NIN study also pointed out that about 92 percent of the vendors knew about importance of handwashing before fruit juice preparation but only 10 percent were found to practise it. Similarly, 86 percent of the vendors surveyed were aware about the need to use soap and water for washing utensils but just about 4 percent were found doing it.

Researchers and doctors state that consumers should avoid consuming street-vended juices which are not only contaminated but are also sugar-laden, providing little nutritional value during scorching summer.