TIRUCHY: With temperature hovering around 40°C, roadside juice stalls near Chathiram bus stand were doing brisk business around 2.30 pm on Wednesday. Several outlets in Gandhi Market, Cantonment and Puthur areas selling sugarcane, fresh fruit juices and jigarthanda, ice blocks were seen kept in open sacks and broken by hand before being added to drinks. Used glasses were being dipped in buckets of water and quickly reused.
Similar scenes were witnessed in parts of Thillai Nagar, Woraiyur and near the Central bus stand, where a mix of permanent shops and seasonal stalls have mushroomed this summer. Many appeared to follow similar practices during peak hours, even as crowds continued to swell.
Food safety norms for juice vendors are comprehensive covering registration, water quality, hygiene, storage, and serving practices and are not limited to any single element like ice. However, in most of the stalls visited by TNIE between 2 pm and 4 pm, licences from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India were not visibly displayed.
“Ice is supplied daily. We try to keep things clean, but during rush it becomes difficult,” said a vendor near Central bus stand. At another stall in Cantonment, juices meant for parcel were packed in thin plastic covers, raising concerns over the use of non-food-grade materials.
As per FSSAI norms, ice used in drinks should be safe and properly sourced, and both food and water should be stored in clean, covered containers. Packed items must carry details like preparation time and safe consumption period. However, vendors largely depend on bulk ice transported in open conditions and stored in sacks with limited clarity on sourcing.
Despite the seasonal spike, food safety officials did not share data on inspections on both juice and ice making shops, action taken, or the number of registered juice outlets in Tiruchy. There has also been little visible public awareness on safety practices.
Repeated attempts by TNIE to reach District food safety officials were unsuccessful.
Dr M Aleem, a city-based health expert, said unhygienic handling of food and water during summer could increase infection risks. “Unsafe water, improperly handled ice, and unclean utensils can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, food poisoning, and infections such as hepatitis A and cholera. The risk is higher in summer, especially for children and the elderly.” he said.
