Roadside eateries, fast food health hazard

Doctors warn of rising cases of stomach, liver ailments

ISLAMABAD: Medical experts and nutritionists believe that the growing number of unhygienic roadside eateries and fast-food shops are the cause of health hazards among citizens.

Stalls and makeshift set-ups of unhygienic food items are spreading diseases among citizens especially teenagers and school kids, as sellers seem to have poor awareness on hygienic aspects of food preparation.

While agreeing that the quality of food items could not be equated with that of restaurants, an eatery owner said: "It is very difficult to prepare quality food in a small space. However, we try to adhere to principles of hygiene as much as possible while preparing food," he said.

A parent, Asiya Muskan, said that the water and food served at roadside fast-food stalls were not hygienic. Emphasising the need for ensuring hygiene at roadside eateries, experts said that food contamination might lead to dysentery, cholera and jaundice.

A nutritionist Dr Akram Bukhari said, "Eating uncovered and unhygienic food sold by the roadside can lead to typhoid, cholera and gastroenteritis.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2017.