FOOD RIOTS-UNIVERSITIES BECOMING VULNERABLE?

Managing a student hostel is fraught with many problems and no one knows this better than a warden who has the experience of running such a set up. While most problems can be solved provided adequate resources are invested, food is a very difficult area in which universal satisfaction can never be guaranteed. In India many universities have their own hostels and canteens and in most cases the running of these institutions are left to private enterprises as the logistics of food service is not amenable to a bureaucratic system of management. While students depending on hostel foods do not expect the same with home taste, at least some modicum of standard is expected from those running mess services in these institutions. The most frequently heard complaints concern hygiene, sanitation, eating quality and monotony of foods prepared and served every day. Price has assumed importance recently because of the run away food inflation being experienced all over the country. It is left to the students of the University of Pune to raise some sort of banner of revolt to sensitize the university authorities about the travails of eating bad food they undergo every day with no solace coming from any where. Here is a take on that development.

Students on the University of Pune (UoP) campus have demanded that nutritious food be served at the canteens in their hostels. Earlier, their agitation against the hike in rates had forced the four canteen operators on the campus to roll back the prices. However, now, the quality of food is poor, they complain. On Monday, over 30 students from various departments, mostly hostelites, met vice-chancellor Raghunath Shevgaonkar and presented a list of demands. The students had planned a morcha, but dropped the idea as the police have issued guidelines against morchas to administrative buildings, said graduate senate member Shashikant Tiokate. Meanwhile, students' representative Vishwajeet Singh told DNA that the food served in the canteens on the campus is not nutritious. "We demanded that private mess operators not be given entry to the campus due to various reasons," he said.

It is the responsibility of organizations like universities to ensure that the health of thousands of students coming from far away places is not affected by bad food service from quality and nutrition angles and legally students can take recourse to remedial measures through judiciary for dereliction of duty. It is difficult to understand why food service does not get the attention it deserves because a gastronomically disgruntled student can never become an "achiever", no matter how many years one has to spent in the university. It is time that teaching institutions invest in creating decent functional kitchens and modern catering facilities to satisfy the student community vis-a-vis their food needs and reap the benefit of a tranquil campus!.

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

---

We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love
(and love to hate): Yahoo! TV's Guilty Pleasures list.

COMMON WEALTH GAMES VILLAGE-THE FOOD QUALITY

The controversy ridden Common Wealth Games (CWG) event at Delhi appears to be becoming more controversial because of poor quality of food being served. While one can expect minor glitches when an event of such magnitude is organized, lack of attention to one of the fundamental issues pertaining to safety and quality of food served can become a sore point with potential for long term damage to the image of the country. It is intriguing as to how the food supply contractors can serve "rotten" foods as claimed by some reports though some leeway can be given for marginal lowering of the eating quality. With less than 48 hours to go for inauguration of the Games and most country contingents checking in at the Village, one can only hope that Organizing Committee (OC) of the event could make a turn around and provide high quality foods with absolute safety. It must be borne in mind that many foreign guests have "weak" stomachs vulnerable to even mild infections and extra care needs to be taken to prevent any mishaps on this score.

"The complaints about food have been coming in ever since the caterer started supplying the food packets from September 23, say officials. Late delivery of the packets and the poor quality of the food given to the workforce had created much heartburn. Lalit Bhanot, secretary-general of the OC, had admitted that the food packets were reaching the venues late, though he claimed that the schedule was being streamlined to ensure timely delivery. Sources, however, say that matters reached a head earlier this week when the packets not only reached venues late but were also of extremely bad quality. At places, the food was so bad that it was rejected by the food safety inspectors, forcing the workforce to go without meal. In fact, on Thursday, the food packets at both Siri Fort Stadium as well as the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium were not found conforming to the safety standards as prescribed by the OC and several thousands of packets had to be thrown away. Staff at Siri Fort said that the lunch packet, comprising rice, roti, vegetables and dal, had turned bad, forcing the workers to get food from outside. Now, the OC is hoping that the new batch of caterers will be able to appease the thousands of workers who are at the venues. As an interim measure, the OC has even talked of using the pre-cooked meals available in markets for the workforce. Officials admit that the problems with catering have had an impact on the other functional areas as well, especially volunteering. Said a senior OC official, ''The volunteers are not paid".

A distinction needs to be made between foods "delivered" to the workers and those provided in the Games Village to the participants, though there cannot be any excuse for serving foods "smelling" bad to any one. With the in-house food preparation facilities commissioned, the quality is bound to be better and if latest reports coming from the Village dining halls capable of serving 40000 guests a day are any indication, the participants are likely to carry good impression about the quality and diversity of foods offered during the duration of the Games. There cannot be any let up of vigil by the safety authorities, lest even a minor lapse can become an embarrassing incidence.

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

RESTAURANT IN THE "SKY"- THE NEW CONCEPT

The sagging business of International Airlines is sought to be bolstered by many innovative changes introduced to retain the existing clientele or to attract more passengers. Economic melt down saw a sharp decline in air travel and many aviation companies started cutting on some of the frills to keep their business viable making air travel a boring experience. But some of them with innovative ideas introduced new features to make travel a pleasant experience. Here is an example from Air New Zealand.

"Finally, Air New Zealand said it has upgraded its Business Premier cabin "with complete on-demand food and beverage service more akin to premium dining and an enhanced sleep experience to ensure travelers really do feel they've snuggled into their own bed." "Being able to order a steak, medium rare in Business Premier, a pizza for two in Premium Economy or a late night snack in Economy, whenever you want, will be a very cool experience," Fyfe said. "New oven technology that will cook food from scratch rather than simply reheating and a new digital in-seat ordering service will make this truly the first time real food has been served at 35,000 feet."

It is exciting to see food being given priority in improving the image of the Airlines and any international traveler should be excited to have an experience in such a carrier. Logistically, the concept of a restaurant making all foods freshly cooked, will be a nightmarish experience and if Air New Zealand can translate its plans into a workable proposition, its business is bound to pick up sooner or later.

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