NEW TRANSPARENCY POLICY FOR RESTAURANTS-KERALA INITIATIVE

Kerala is supposed to be a 100% literate state in the Indian Union and hence one would expect the population there to be more sensitive to laws of the country which need to be respected by every citizen. The recent report that the hoteliers in that state are flouting the orders of the state High Court is some what disturbing. During the last two years the attitude and behavior of hoteliers all over the country have witnessed a sea change with prices of food preparations being hiked indiscriminately for no rhyme or reason. It defies logic as to why a cup of coffee should cost Rs 10 plus or an idli plate cost Rs 20-25 or a dosa cost Rs 25-30! Of course there is some inflation which is causing marginal rise in the market prices of raw materials but the prevailing prices do not justify such deep escalation, bordering almost on fleecing the customers. Added to this the food regulations are not being followed scrupulously with no one afraid of the law. Here is a take on this unfortunate development affecting millions of consumers who depend on hotel food for meeting their day to day needs.

Even as most of the hoteliers and restaurant owners in the city have started displaying price list of foods, they are yet to comply with the provisions of the Food Safety Regulations for exhibiting ingredients used in their food. As per the provision of the Act, the seller of the food articles is bound to display the ingredients used in foods being sold. High Court lawyer Basil Attipetty, who had obtained an order from the consumer court for enforcing the rules relating to display of price lists, said that the regulations had made it mandatory for sellers of any food stuff to display its ingredient list in their shops. He said that the High Court had recently emphasised the need for regulating the prices of even hotel foods and thereby preventing fleecing by hoteliers. Mr. Attipetty said that the Ernakulam Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum had also ordered displaying of price lists of food stuff in terms of the Kerala Food Stuffs (Display of Prices by Catering Establishment) Order, 1977. He said that some of the hotels were yet to exhibit the price list of food stuff in compliance with the forum's order. He had contended that as per the order, the police and local bodies and civil supplies department had the power to direct hotels and restaurants to display the price list of food stuffs. The forum had also directed the Kochi City Police Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, Aluva Rural, to file a report after implementing the order of the forum. He pointed out that the police officers were yet to file a report on the compliance of the directive. The High Court had also expressed its concern over the soaring prices of hotel foods and suggested bringing in a law to hold the price line of hotel food.

Price control is not a desirable step in a democracy, if it can be avoided. The hoteliers must have self restraint as well as sufficient sensitivity to the feelings of their customers. No body is holding a brief for the way the insipient FSSAI is functioning at present and there must be realistic moderation of rules equitable to both the consumer as well as the hotelier. The rules regarding display of prices along with quantity served must be enforced at any cost and violators must be meted out exemplary punishment. Same is true regarding the nature of ingredients used either through the Menu card or through display. Consumer has a right to know whether the preparations contain any ingredient not to his liking. For example use of ingredients like Garlic, Onion, Chilli and other spices may not  be liked by some and such display will help them to avoid preparations containing these objectionable ingredients. While insisting on such practices the authorities must also look into the practical difficulties faced by the catering industry in meeting such aspirations of the consumer. 

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

HYGIENE RATING AND DISPLAY-WALES' EXPERIENCE

Hygiene and sanitation aspects have an important bearing on the safety of foods prepared and marketed whether they come from eateries or organized processing industry. Almost all food contamination episodes and frequent market recalls are traced to lack of oversight on the part of the manufacturers regarding the safety practices required to be in place. The much vaunted HACCP system was evolved to make the workers aware of the risks involved at different stages of food preparation and to be more vigilant in avoiding wrong steps in the process chain. In a country like the EU or the US prevalence of frequent inspection of preparation facilities by inspection teams is able to minimize safety violations as far as possible though food poisoning incidences do occur some time. The hygiene rating system being practiced in Wales recommends itself to many developing countries and this can be expected to keep the processors on their toes when it comes to adopting safe practices.

"From this month council inspections of firms serving, selling or preparing food will be used to calculate a rating of between zero and five. Zero will indicate that "urgent improvement" is necessary while the top rating of five will mean that a business had "very good" standards. But it will not be compulsory for firms to display their ratings. The public will be able to access ratings through a searchable database, which will be overseen by the Food Standards Agency".

The on going debate whether the system should be made compulsory is interesting because the success of the system is determined by how sincerely it is practiced. It is doubtful whether left to themselves eateries would adopt voluntarily any guidelines that calls for extra vigilance and expenditure. The fact that only 25% of the industry has adopted the new rating system speaks for itself. Strict compliance and exemplary deterrent punishment can only guarantee success for such hygiene rating system.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

RESTAURANT OPERATIONS-THE SANITATION ISSUE

How does one choose a restaurant in a place not familiar, especially on travel or tourist jaunts? Grading of eateries is practiced in some countries but the customers have hardly any insight into the grade of a restaurant or an eating place during the visit as rarely there is any display containing such information. Even if the grade is exhibited prominently, it does not guarantee that food is really safe. This is where some consumer activists are demanding transparency regarding the inspections made by the health authorities and the results of such assessment. One of the most pressing concerns is the hygiene and sanitation status of the facilities which has a direct bearing on the safety of foods prepared there. It is true that the owners of eating establishments display prominently any thing that eulogizes them while silent on their deficiencies. Of course ultimately the clientele of any business is built upon the reputation of the products and repeat visits can be expected only if the food is good with no bitter "after visit" experience.

"Posted outside restaurants' windows are menus, Zagat ratings and clippings of local newspaper reviews. What's missing, says D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh, is information about the restaurants' sanitary conditions. Cheh supports requiring restaurants to display a letter grade based on their most recent health department inspection. She says that now, residents must file public records requests for details on restaurant inspections".

Many restaurants try to segregate and hide the preparation area from the customers while the dining areas are decked up with attractive decor. An ideal situation could be to design eateries with the kitchen in the center of the place, visible to most of the diners and this puts the workers on full alert and caution resulting in more frequent cleaning, disciplined movements, clean environment, etc which can be expected to impress the customers. Greater awareness about hygiene and sanitation and to score over competition, are driving many restaurants to go for HACCP and other safety certification systems which is good for both the owners as well as the consumers.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com