The civic body on Wednesday handed food licences to 32 hawkers on Russell Street, bringing them under the ambit of food safety law — violations of which could lead to penalties, including the shutting down of stalls.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will conduct regular food sample tests at these licensed stalls to ensure the food is safe for consumption. Food safety inspectors are expected to conduct random checks, test samples in mobile vans, or collect them for testing in the KMC’s food laboratory. Each stall will be rated as compliant, sub-standard, or unsafe — the last of which could trigger punitive action.

There are around 20,000 food vendors on the city’s pavements, none of whom previously held a food licence.

Thousands of people have multiple daily meals from these vendors on the pavements of Chandni Chowk, Esplanade, Russell Street, Camac Street, Dalhousie, Salt Lake and New Town.

Handing licences to the 32 Russell Street vendors is part of an effort to regulate street food and implement quality checks, KMC officials said. All 32 vendors received new stalls and upgraded infrastructure under a ₹1 crore project funded by the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

Toxic additives such as metanil dye, which is carcinogenic, are banned, a KMC official explained. If found in food, it can lead to penalties. Open flames are also prohibited. The stalls must transition to electric cooking, with each stall due to get an individual electric meter within another month. “Once electric connections are installed, gas cylinders will not be allowed,” the official said.

A common violation is the use of artificial colouring in food. “Biryani should be made using saffron, but many vendors use cheaper dyes... This will invite strict action."

Arvind Kumar Yadav, 32, who sells roti, rice, paneer, and mixed vegetables on Russell Street, said KMC officials had banned the use of plastic. “We cannot use plastic cups, bottles, or plates. We have been asked to cook in a proper kitchen and bring the food here,” Arvind told Metro. His brother, who runs a non-vegetarian stall nearby, echoed the concern.

“If we don’t follow the rules, our stalls will be taken away,” Arvind added.