Kohima: A food safety and hygiene training programme for street food vendors was held at the Directorate of Tourism in Kohima on Friday, ahead of the upcoming Hornbill Festival.
The initiative was organised by the Department of Tourism in collaboration with the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), with support from Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC) and Nestlé India.
Commissioner and Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Anoop Khinchi, IAS, who attended as guest of honour, underscored the importance of strict hygiene practices. He urged vendors to maintain personal cleanliness, ensure hygienic food preparation, practise proper waste disposal, and keep their stalls and surroundings clean. He added that food safety must remain a continuous habit, not a festival-specific effort.
Commissioner and Secretary, Tourism, Dr Zasekuolie Chusi, IAS, described the training as timely and essential for a festival of Hornbill’s scale. He acknowledged Nestlé India’s support and reminded vendors to comply with government regulations, including notified food rates, while maintaining professionalism as they serve visitors from across India and abroad.
Director of Tourism, Veyielo Doulo, noted that street food vendors are often the first point of interaction for visitors and play a key role in shaping perceptions of Nagaland. He said the festival offers a major platform to showcase indigenous cuisines and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting local entrepreneurs.
Providing an overview of the programme, Surojit Mukherjee, Branch Head of Corporate Affairs at Nestlé India, said the training was tailored for vendors preparing to operate stalls at the Hornbill Festival. The initiative aims to strengthen safe food handling, hygiene and service standards to ensure a high-quality experience for visitors.
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A second session under Nestlé India’s CSR programme, “Project Serve Safe Food”, focused on long-term capacity building. Topics included personal and cart hygiene, food handling, cleaning and pest control, waste management, COVID-19 safety protocols and digital payment systems. Vendors received FoSTaC certificates through the FSSAI platform on completion.
The programme, implemented as part of Nestlé India’s CSR efforts with the support of the Food Safety Department and the Department of Tourism, aims to enhance food safety standards and improve the overall visitor experience during the Hornbill Festival.
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