Shocking Admission by Street Food Vendors: Urea and Harpic Used to ‘Enhance Taste’

A viral video sparked widespread outrage after showing two golgappa vendors in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district kneading dough with bare feet

The disturbing footage, captured in a local Nagar Panchayat market, highlighted unsanitary practices and revealed the vendors’ shocking confession. During a police investigation, the men admitted adding urea and the toilet cleaner Harpic to the dough to “enhance the taste” of the famous street food snack. The video quickly gained traction on social media and caused public anger and disgust. Locals who witnessed the incident reported the vendors to authorities, leading to their detention. Arvind Yadav, one of the vendors, and his associate, Satish Kumar Srivastava, confessed to these harmful practices.

Arvind Yadav, 35, who hails from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, claimed that his cousins filmed the video during a family dispute as revenge. Additionally, police found a suspicious white substance resembling an alum at the shop, which has been sent for testing. The golgappa shop has since been sealed, with authorities continuing their investigation into the unsafe and unhygienic food preparation methods. The revelation has left many questioning the safety of street food, with calls for stricter regulations and monitoring of food vendors to prevent such incidents in the future.