Doctors’ Choice And Bharat Chamber Of Commerce Successfully Conclude Phase 1 Of “Porishkar Haath, Porishkar Paat”

HNExpress Staff Reporter : Doctors’ Choice and Bharat Chamber of Commerce, marked the successful completion of the first phase of “Porishkar Haath, Porishkar Paat”, a large-scale Food Safety & Hygiene initiative organised to promote safer food practices and public health awareness amongst the street-side food vendors in Kolkata.

Conducted over a span of two months, the initiative witnessed enthusiastic participation from more than 1,200 street-side food vendors across Dacres Lane,Tollygunge, Southern Avenue, Deshapriya Park, Jadavpur,Santoshpur, Lords More, Park Circus, Beckbegan Topside, Mukundapur, Kalikapur, Rajdanga, Chitpur, Khidderpore, Mominpore, Chetla, Phoolbagan Saltlake, VIP Bazar, Beleghata, Kakurgachi, Shyambazar, Ruby, Tiretta Bazar, Bentinck Street, Lalbazar , Dalhousie, Vardhan Market, New Market.The workshops focused on educating vendors about hygiene standards, safe food handling practices, cleanliness, waste management, and consumer health safety.

Today, more than 30 vendors who actively participated in the training sessions were felicitated in the presence of the Chief Guest, Mr Dhiman Das, Owner, K.C. Das, Special Guest, Mr Kamal Banerjee, Food Historian along with Mr Dhinal Brahmbhatt, Chief Business Officer, Doctors’ Choice, Mr Shivam Agarwal, Director, Marketing & Strategy, Doctors’ Choice, Mr Shiladitya Chaudhury, Foodpreneur & Founder-Director, Oudh 1590, Chapter 2 & Chaudhury & Co. and Ms Rimi Banerjee, Clinical Dietitian, CDE, FoSTaC, Food Safety Auditor/Supervisor

“Street food is an integral part of Kolkata’s culture, identity, and livelihood ecosystem. Through ‘Porishkar Haath, Porishkar Paat’, we wanted to create meaningful awareness around food hygiene and empower vendors with practical knowledge that directly benefits public health while also supporting business continuity and consumer trust. The overwhelming participation and encouraging response during the first phase reflect vendors’ willingness to adopt better hygiene and food safety practices. We look forward to expanding the initiative further and beginning the next phase soon”, said Mr. Dhinal Brahmbhatt, Chief Business Officer, Doctors’ Choice.

Building on the momentum generated during the initial phase, the next phase of the Food Safety & Hygiene Initiative is scheduled to commence in June 2026.

“We at Doctors’ Choice strongly believe that hygienic and safer food practices contribute towards building a healthier community, and initiatives like ‘Porishkar Haath, Porishkar Paat’ reflect and align with the ethos of the company. Through this initiative, we are working to raise awareness of food safety while supporting Kolkata’s street food vendors with practical, easily adoptable solutions. This is not just a workshop series, but a step towards building a healthier and more responsible street food ecosystem in the city. We are proud to see vendors embracing these practices with sincerity and enthusiasm, and the encouraging participation in the first phase motivates us to continue this drive in other parts of the city”, Mr Shivam Agarwal, Director, Marketing & Strategy, Doctors’ Choice.

As part of the initiative, vendors participated in practical workshops and awareness sessions focused on safe food handling practices, effective handwashing techniques, hygiene gap identification, personal hygiene, and adherence to food safety standards suitable for high-footfall street food environments. During the event, participating vendors were felicitated for their commitment towards improving hygiene and food safety standards across Kolkata’s street food ecosystem.
The Bharat Chamber of Commerce emphasised the importance of continued grassroots engagement and practical training initiatives in strengthening public health standards across the city. The organisation also highlighted that empowering street food vendors with better hygiene and food safety practices is essential for ensuring the sustainability, credibility, and long-term growth of Kolkata’s renowned street food culture.
During the first phase, participating vendors received hygiene kits comprising protective gloves, caps, aprons, hand sanitisers, informational hygiene guidelines, and essential food safety tools, along with certificates upon successful completion of the training sessions.

The initiative continues to reinforce Doctors’ Choice’s commitment towards community engagement, public health awareness, and the promotion of safer food practices across Kolkata’s evolving culinary landscape.