The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed five-star hotels, which are central license holders, to ensure they are compliant with the food safety and kitchen hygiene regulations. The Authority has also said that it will ramp up inspections on the hotel sector at a meeting held with industry representatives on Tuesday.
This comes close on the heels of the food safety regulator issuing notices to two Delhi-based hotels, JW Marriott and Andaz after uncovering serious regulatory violations including pest infestations, expired items and unhygienic conditions of kitchens.
At a meeting held on Tuesday with the representatives including executive chefs of the hotel industry, FSSAI officials flagged various deficiencies in hygiene and food safety protocols which included unhygienic kitchen conditions, expired goods, lack of proper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian products, pest entry points among others, sources said.
During the meeting, officials stressed that hotels must ensure that they follow kitchen safety and hygiene protocols, pest control measures, temperature control in terms of cold chain, prevention of cross-contamination and ensure no expired goods are used, maintaining traceability among others. Sources said that the hotel representatives have assured that they are and will ensure compliance. Surveillance and inspections of hotels are also expected to be scaled up sources added.
Last month, the food safety regulator said that it had sent over 20 notices to five-star hotels, which included major franchise hotel operators, over non-compliances related to menu labelling and declaration of calories.
FSSAI has been in the process of cracking down on food companies, restaurants as well hotels as part of its strategy for ramping up enforcement activities in the past few months. Earlier, the food safety regulator said it has sent over 150 notices to packaged food companies over misleading ads, false claims and labelling non-compliances which led to prohibition of sale orders, license suspension as well as seizure of goods. It has also sent 12 notices to quick commerce platforms and over 30 notices to food establishments including QSR restaurants.