Aug 19, 2012

Kitchen confidential


HYDERABAD: The steaming plates of starters and delectable desserts crowding buffets at most hotels in the city may not really be 'freshly' prepared as is claimed on the menu. With 'recycling' fast becoming the norm, hotels are routinely seen freezing meat in blast-chillers only to cut into it for the next one week or at times longer. Storing even sauces and spices beyond their expiry dates is also not unknown.

Checking these kitchens are Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials who themselves are ignorant of the rule book and go essentially by the appearance of the food, following their hunch on what is permissible and what is not.

Chefs at city hotels admit that stale food is often reheated just before service but note that it is permissible to do so. Even the oil that one would assume is poured out of a clean container, especially while shelling out a fortune at a swank star facility, may have travelled through many pots and pans.

"Recycling is a done thing in most hotels. After every large gathering or buffet service, several dishes are stored away to be used later. Apart from the salad which is usually made afresh each day at star hotels, all other items including 'daal', chicken (or other meat) and desserts are kept under refrigeration. They are brought out and heated as and when there is a demand," said a chef with a leading star hotel on condition of anonymity.

Hoteliers say it is routine to store food for later use. Roast chicken is often times served three days later with a fresh coat of seasoning. Similarly, a plate of sweets continues to make the rounds of the buffet until stocks are finally exhausted.

But chefs maintain that there is nothing questionable about the practice of recycling food. "We store cooked food at home too and do not think twice before eating it later. How does it become unsafe if done in a hotel," he questioned. Reputed hotels insist they are equipped with better technology and say that the rules of the game of hotel kitchens have undergone a sea change. The use of blast chillers, for instance, is now a common feature in most kitchens.

"Items like mayonnaise or sauce that has to be used repeatedly cannot be prepared just before service. Such products have to be stored for prolonged periods in appropriate chillers," said chef Smita Duggar of Masterchef India fame. She did, however, agree that city kitchens at times do ignore hygiene norms to use up stocks.

Hotel officials maintain that they adhere to stringent rules of hygiene and their food is far from being unhealthy or adulterated. Though chefs admit to refrigeration of edibles, both raw and processed, they argue that it's done in accordance with Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) guidelines.

"The PFA regulations (followed by hotels nationally) clearly allow storing of food. Only, the prescribed temperatures and storage procedures need to be followed. In fact, even the ISO 22000 norms followed internationally for quality management states that stored food if reheated at an optimum temperature is fit for consumption," explained Mandhaar Sukhtankar, executive chef with The Park, Hyderabad.

Broadly, cooked food stored at 5 degrees and re-heated at over 60 degrees before being transferred on to the plate is an accepted practice for regulatory authorities the world over. In the case of meat/fish, the heating temperatures are increased to about 73 degrees (approx). Even the time-span for refrigeration, as per these rulebooks, can range from 24 to 72 hours depending on which category — high risk or low risk — an item falls under.

Reiterating the safety factor, hoteliers argue how most star facilities conform to the HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) standards that prescribe the most effective food safety measures. "For several years now, we are operating in accordance with these norms. It is impossible, therefore, for our food to be anything but impeccably fresh and safe," said Indraneil Palit, chief executive officer of Speciality Restaurants of which Mainland China is the flagship.

GHMC, entrusted with the job of overseeing hotel kitchens, has no set rules of its own. "At the time of sanctioning a licence, the corporation does hand out a list of guidelines, but they are largely about disposing of garbage appropriately. It does not list any storage-related rules. In fact, even at the time of inspection (conducted once in six months) officials only look at how we are handling our garbage and if it is kept at a distance from our preparation area," said the owner of a popular restaurant in the city.

GHMC officials however rubbish all the food storage norms quoted by hotels and insist that the GHMC does not allow the freezing of food for even a few hours. "We are very particular about hygienic kitchens. No hotel is allowed to store food, especially cooked food," said L Vandan Kumar, additional commissioner, health and sanitation.

Sounding a word of caution he said that his team would soon be cracking down on other restaurants and bars across Hyderabad to bring to book all those found flouting norms.

40 taken ill after consuming adulterated toddy in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: As many as 40 persons including some women were hospitalised when they took ill after consuming adulterated toddy in Toopran mandal of neighbouring Medak district today, police said.
  
Some villagers of Kalkal who had consumed toddy in the last two days complained of vomiting and other health problems on Tuesday morning and were shifted to a nearby hospital, they said.
  
"So far 40 persons including some women have been shifted to a hospital in Toopran while scores of others who complained of headache have been treated at a health camp organised in Kalkal itself," a senior police officer told from Toopran.
  
It is suspected that the villagers consumed adulterated toddy bought from local shops, he added.
  
Excise officials picked up the persons who sold the toddy and was questioning them while the toddy samples were also collected from the shops.
  
Further investigations were underway.

Imported bakery takes over local

Srinagar, Aug 18: At a time when the shoppers have swarmed the city shops, courtesy Eid Shopping, the high prices and the low product quality, have left them seething in anger  and paving the way for the imported cookies to be better alternatives.
Indigenous bread, pastries and cakes over the years, have been preferred choice of Kashmiris on festivals like Eid, but, of late,  packed bakery (cookies to be specific)imported from outside the state are proving to be an alternative for locals. Majority of the top departmental stores and small shops have felt the trend and are selling fair quantity of imported bakery.
Although local bakery still rules the roost, but packed cookies made in various states of India are creating their own niche in the Valley.
“Hygienic nature and more longevity” are the main reasons of imported bakery over the one made here. Its affordable rates are also playing its part in raising their sales.
The eggless packed bakery is luring Kashmiris towards its consumption big time.
“We all know bakers in Kashmir use eggs for making their stuff like cakes and cookies. Most of the eggs in hot conditions are rotten. To avoid consuming bakery stuffed with rotten eggs, we prefer packed bakery from outside the state,” says Ghulam Mohammad Khan, busy in purchasing packed cookies from a general store in Residency road
He further added: “Customers cannot be duped as the rates are labeled on the packs with its ingredients.”
 The people alleged that local bakers are also overcharging them and the products do not meet the quality standards.
“The local bakers use rotten eggs as had been established during the recent raids by the authorities,” said Mushtaq Ahmad from Jawahar Nagar.
The authorities have recently launched raids against the violators and have fined many bakers whose products were not meeting the standards.
Food safety Officer Reyaz Ahmad Chaudhary said that they are doing their best to prevent the bakery that does not meet the safety standards from reaching out to the customers.
“We have raided many areas in the Srinagar city and have fined many shopkeepers who were found violating the norms. We have destroyed two trucks of eggs that were found rotten,” said Reyaz, adding that they have also destroyed the rotten bakery cream and other bakery products on the spot verification that the bakers were using in order to earn more bucks.
However the customers are not satisfied as they have alleged that the bakery products are being sold at exorbitant rates. They also accused the authorities of not acting tough against the shopkeepers indulging in black marketeering and in illegal profiteering.
“We fail to understand why there are different rates for the same product at different places. A plum cake at one shop costs Rs 100 and the same cake costs Rs 150 at another. The shopkeepers are flouting the rates,” said Javed Ahmad, adding that the shoppers are being hoodwinked as everybody is in a hurry.
Another customer questions “Why to check markets only on the special occasions? This should be a round the year exercise,” said Arshid Ahmad, a government employee.
The authorities were also caught napping as they have not revised the rates from 2011 nor did they fix any rates for the current year.
“It is true that we have not fixed any rates for the current year as there has been no meeting in this regard. The bakers association also did not contact us in this regard,” said Assistant Director of the Enforcement Wing CAPD.
However he could not provide any clear answers why they have not fixed the rates for the bakery products.