FSSAI to propose rating restaurants and eateries to ensure quality of food

The food safety regulator has now turned its attention to restaurants, eating joints and hotels to enforce safety standards.

Food and Safety Standards Authority of India, the country’s top food regulator, has put forth a proposal that businesses which deal with food should be rated on factors such as hygiene and safety to make sure they are trusted by consumers.

Pawan Agarwal, the regulator’s chief executive, in a statement to the Hindustan Times, said that the apex body is now particularly keen on rating food businesses through several “hygiene variety factors”. The regulator is looking to assign star ratings to restaurants and eating places out of six, taking into account factors like hygiene awareness, safety processes, etc.

A sub-group was formed following a meet last week in New Delhi among the FSSAI, National Restaurant Association of India and the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) to amend rules that govern safety standards at eating establishments.

Display of food licenses will be made a necessary factor in rating food businesses with consumer trust seemingly being the biggest driving factor behind the move. The businesses that will be rated will include manufacturers of food items, sellers of food items and other business operators in the sector.

Last year, reports went viral about a couple in Mangalore who found worms in their meal at a KFC outlet. A similar instance was recorded a few months ago at a Domino’s Pizza outlet in New Delhi when a customer who had ordered a pizza found an oregano seasoning sachet infested with insects, which led to a subsequent drop in shares of Jubilant Food Works Ltd, the company operating the Domino’s brand in India.

The food regulator recently started the concept of ‘food safety supervisors’ in all food businesses to ensure quality items reach consumers. The supervisor should be trained under the Food Safety Training and Certification Programme (FoSTaC) designed by FSSAI and would be responsible for ensuring that the quality of food is maintained.

These happen to include shops, stalls, hotel, restaurants airline services and food canteens, places or vehicles where any article of food is sold or manufactured or stored for sale.The FSSAI license is already compulsory for ensuring food safety and quality of food products.

FSSAI to Shut Down Restaurants Operating Without the FSSAI License

The Food Safety and Standards Act passed in 2006, made it mandatory that any person commencing or carrying on a food business must have the FSSAI license. In spite of the said provision, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Pawan Kumar Agarwal stated that there are multiple hotels and restaurants, which amounts to 30%-40%, who are carrying on with their food businesses without the above-mentioned license. Find out how to get the FSSAI license for your restaurant here. Pondering into the problem at hand Mr Agarwal, showed some serious concerns over the lack of awareness of the people in India and on November 14, 2017, in New Delhi, he passed a new provision.

Restaurants Have 3 Months Time to Get the FSSAI License

The FSSAI clearly stated that all hotels and restaurants operating without the FSSAI license will be sealed and closed if they fail to take permits within the next 3 months. This rule applies to all establishments, be it profit or non-profit, public or private, hence it also includes religious places where food is provided without charges. However, it must be mentioned that there are few exceptions that are provided, for example, petty manufacturers, retailers and hawkers are exempted from this rule.

As the overarching cloud prevails over whether FSSAI licenses are mandatory for all food outlets or not, FSSAI has delegated the responsibility to the State Governments to initiate a special drive through which they will spread the awareness of the FSSAI license. After the time period for this awareness, the drive is over, FSSAI will be asking the State Governments to seal and close all those establishments across the country which are running without the above-said license. Mr Agarwal further went on to say, that not only is getting the licenses in place is mandatory, the restaurants and hotels also need to submit the food safety management plan.

Mandatory Food Supervisor at All Food Businesses

Mr Agarwal also shared his future plan of making a mandatory rule for all food business to have one person, who will be the food supervisor and who will be trained and certified as per its curriculum. The importance of displaying the licenses at prominent points within the premises of the restaurants was also highlighted; the display board at any restaurant should also have contact details of customer care as well as food inspector of that location. FSSAI is also working on developing a rating for “Hygiene and hygiene plus”, this new provision will be put into force soon.

Maintaining food hygiene across all the food establishments is exceptionally important and laws must not be taken lightly. FSSAI has been in operation for over the last six years and by now all the food businesses must have had their licenses in place. FSSAI Enforcement Director, Mr Agarwal is given the enormous task of ensuring a 100 percent licensing of all restaurants and hotels in the next three months, hence he is moving forward with immense vigour and is in no mood of any compromise or leniency!

FSDA seized two quintals of chemical-laced peas

Agra: A day after a video of chemically coloured peas being sold in the Agra vegetable market went viral, food safety and drug administration (FSDA) officials on Thursday seized two quintals of adulterated peas from Bodla market here. The contaminated peas could cause diseases such as cancer if consumed in large portions, said officials.

The team, led by assistant commissioner of FSDA Vineet Kumar, conducted raids at several street vendor units and found traders mixing vegetables with harmful chemicals.

Kumar said, “During a surprise raid at Bodla market, we found some vendors mixing rotten peas in a chemical solution. Two quintals of the adulterated vegetables were seized. The chemicals were sent to a laboratory for examination. We will book the traders once reports about the adulteration are confirmed.”

“The district FSDA has failed to curb this menace. A notice will be served to the district chief food inspector and other concerned officials seeking explanation of their failure in stopping adulteration of food items,” added Kumar.

In several crackdowns in the past six months in Agra, FSDA officials have found instances such as milk mixed with detergent powder and tomato and chilli sauces having harmful chemicals in them.

During a raid at Belanganj, in October, the team also seized several tonnes of adulterated tea packets in which the manufacturer was found mixing cashew nut husk. The team, under Kumar’s leadership, had also caught local men who were found mixing husk of various kinds in regular spices to increase their content inside packets. In Itmad-ud-daula area, last month, officials had caught men mixing vegetable oil in ghee.

Huge quantity of contraband tobacco seized

In two successive raids, the Food Safety Division of Mayabunder in North Andaman seized huge quantity of banned tobacco products in the region. In a search conducted on board passenger vessel, MV Nicobar, docked at Mayabunder jetty after arrival from Kolkata on Wednesday, the food safety team led by Food Safety Officer, Mr KK Paul found 70 tins of tobacco of Ratan Zarda brand inside a contained and arrested the accused identified as Mohammed Akhtar Hussain.

At around 11.45 am on Wednesday, Mr KK Paul suspected tobacco transportation on a four wheeler bearing registration no. AN01D2844 and informed the local police. The vehicle was searched and around 50 packets of tobacco was seized from the possession of the accused identified as P Sarvana, resident of Rampur village. Further action as per rules has been initiated against the two accused.

What India is not asking about eating chicken

Bulk consumers of chicken, from five star hotels to standalone restaurants, must start insisting on using antibiotic-free chicken.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has done well to expose the double standards adopted by global fast-food chains operating in India. In the US, Russia, Europe, Australia and even Brazil, chains such as McDonald’s and KFC have made and fulfilled in some cases, specific and time-bound commitments to eliminate antibiotic misuse in chicken supply chains, they have not even bothered to initiate similar collective steps in India.

The alert raises two disturbing questions: Why aren’t stringent regulations in place to prevent the misuse of antibiotics for non-therapeutic use especially among chicken and livestock? Why are food providers so cavalier about the quality of meats they serve to their unsuspecting consumers, thereby contributing to the serious rise in antibiotic resistance in the country? The food supply industry had got to be more concerned about the health of the population that makes sure its bottom line is in the black.

When I raised these issues in a Facebook post to test the waters, I was surprised at the number of people who questioned why the CSE was targeting only the fast-food chains (11 multinationals and three homegrown companies, including coffee chains such as Starbucks, Cafe Coffee Day and Barista). Yes, other bulk users of chicken, from five star hotels and fancy standalone restaurants to the Indian Railways and airport food retailers, are equally guilty of not insisting on using only antibiotic-free chicken feed. In fact, the packaged chicken we buy off shelves has also been pumped up with antibiotics, but that does not reduce the culpability of fast-food chains.

One of the more informed interlocutors pointed out that the use of antibiotics has ensured the mass production of healthy chickens, which, in turn, are among the cheapest sources of protein for the people. And India, as we know very well, is hurtling towards severe protein deficiency. Without antibiotics, we are warned, we would have had more than a handful of diseased birds and chicken that is not meaty enough.

This argument, unfortunately, makes a lot of sense in a skewed market where the two most abundant natural sources of protein — dal and millets (bajra, for instance) — are either too expensive for the poor (as in the case of most dals), or not made available through the public distribution system (PDS) targeting the really poor (the widespread inclusion of millets in the PDS mix of grains, in fact, has been a long pending demand).

But what the CSE is asking for is not a ban on the use of antibiotics, but a stop to the misuse. And if McDonald’s can commit itself to eliminating this misuse elsewhere in the world by the year 2019, what prevents it from following its own global example in India?

Chicken are given antibiotic-laced feed to speed up their growth so that they produce more meat in a shorter number of days (in other words, they are readied for slaughter in a fewer number of days). It is this intervention that has made chicken (and now, increasingly, farmed fish) a commonly available source of protein, but it has brought in its wake the life-threatening problem of antibiotic resistance among humans. In India, the levels of antibiotic resistance seen among those afflicted by tuberculosis and urinary tract infections have already risen to life-threatening levels.

We cannot ignore the warning signs any longer. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which has unveiled a flurry of new initiatives, from a national framework of organic certification to an initiative to promote food waste recovery, in recent weeks, must now expedite the process of formulating stringent regulations so that the problem is attacked at its source, that is, at the chicken production centres.

Bulk consumers of chicken, from five star hotels and equivalent standalone restaurants to supermarkets, must also start insisting on free-range, antibiotic-free chicken. The Park New Delhi is one five star hotel that has taken this critical first step, even though it is paying a higher price for the chicken it sources. A rising demand from bulk buyers will definitely have a salutary effect on prices. And I cannot but resist adding the parting thought: the Indian Railways, taking a leaf out of the good practices of Air India, must stop serving chicken on its trains for the sake of the health of its passengers.

13 food outlets found selling substandard, unhygienic food in Srinagar

Rs 1.4 lakh fine imposed on operators

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday imposed a fine of Rs 1.4 lakh on 13 food outlets in summer capital for selling sub-standard food articles and processing of food items under unsanitary conditions.

Officials said the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar has imposed a fine of Rs 1,40,000 on 13 food business operators including restaurants owners, traditional bakers, milk vendors and butchers for violating various provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act.

“The offenses include selling/ manufacturing sub-standard food articles and processing of food items in unsanitary conditions,” they said.

“Each baker and milk vendor was imposed a fine of Rs 10000, butcher Rs 50,000 and restaurant owner has been slapped with a fine of Rs 50,000,” officials said.

The food safety wing of drugs and food control organization has warned food operators of strict action under food safety act in case they fail to maintain the high level of hygiene.

The team of Food Safety Officers, headed by Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety Srinagar, Hilal Ahmad Mir also inspected various markets in Chanapora, Nishat, Lal Chowk and Dalgate areas.

“During the inspection, many restaurants, bakery shops, and butchers were found processing food in total unsanitary conditions. Some of them have been using synthetic colours in many popular food items,” Mir told Kashmir Reader.

He said the substandard and unhygienic preparations were destroyed on spot and the owners were warned to desist from such kind of malpractices in future.

“If we found them indulging in any such activity we will take strict action against them under relevant provisions of food safety and standards act,” he said.

However, the officer was reluctant to share the details: “It doesn’t look good. Their offense is not so grave that we will publicize their names in the media.”

Food Safety Officers also expressed the similar reservation saying that they couldn’t name the business operators.

“We are not authorized to speak on the issue,” they said.