As an Initiative under Project ‘Serve Safe Food’ Nestlé India has continued its collaboration with Food Safety, Government of Nagaland, and National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) to train street food vendors in Kohima, ahead of the much-awaited Hornbill Festival. Project ‘Serve Safe Food’ has already benefitted over 92,800 street food vendors across 26 states and 4 Union Territories by educating vendors on health, hygiene, safe food handling, waste disposal and entrepreneurship. The project has also added a module on COVID-19 safety measures and digital payments in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Shri Anoop Khinchi, IAS, Commissioner of Food Safety, Nagaland said, “Ensuring health and hygiene among food vendors is essential to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors at the Hornbill Festival. The training focuses on critical areas such as food safety, proper handling, waste management, and effective cleaning practices. These improved standards not only build public confidence but also help vendors enhance their business, as customers trust and appreciate hygienic service. Food vendors become true brand ambassadors of the Hornbill Festival, carrying a positive impression and proudly showcasing the rich culinary culture of Nagaland to thousands of visitors.” Dr Z Chusi, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Tourism, said “The Hornbill Festival started in 2000 and firmly established Nagaland on India’s tourism map. It has been a melting pot of our culture – a showcase of the cultures of all our tribes. Food remains one of the key pillars of this festival. As we approach the festival, we are extremely delighted that the street food vendors at the festival are being trained for superior food safety and hygiene standards under Project Serve Safe Food, a collaboration between Nestle India, NASVI and FDA Nagaland.”
Ms. Taruna Saxena, Head, Sustainability and societal initiatives, Nestlé India said, “At Nestlé India, we are consistently trying to improve the food safety environment in India by going beyond the quality and safety of our own products. Project Serve Safe Food empowers street food vendors by upgrading their skills through relevant training on hygiene and food safety practices. This helps to improve their awareness on the importance of raising the standards for food safety and hygiene. We have been scaling up the Project and are confident that it would positively impact the ecosystem.” Nestlé India launched Project Serve Safe Food in 2016 and has trained street food vendors across states including Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
