Bad food? action is a click away

Complaints against food quality and safety, hygiene, sale of expired products, adulteration of food items can be raised through the initiative. District or zonal official will visit the spot to check if the complaint is genuine | nagaraja gadekal

BENGALURU: The next time if you see a cockroach or lizard in your meal, rats in a hotel kitchen or even if the waiter looks unclean, just click a photo and share it with the Food Safety Commissionerate. The Commissioner for Food Safety plans to involve the public in tackling food safety concerns, including hygiene, and promises appropriate action.

Commissioner for Food Safety Subodh Yadav said they recently started an initiative where people with any complaints regarding food quality and safety, hygiene, sale of expired products, adulteration of food items/milk/beverages, mixing of pulses, etc., can send it to their Whatsapp number 9482196639 along with details of the location.

Based on the complaints, the district or zonal official concerned will be sent to the spot for inspection. If the complaint is found to be genuine, action will be taken against the offender. However, if people make false allegations, action will be taken against them too,’’ he warned. Yadav also appealed to people not to forward any messages other than related to food safety.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Harshavardhan B said that since April 1, they have received 22 complaints, mostly from Bengaluru.

These included sale of unhygenic gobi manchurian on roadside cart, abnormal pigments in watermelon and peas, food products without expiry date, packaged water without seal, etc. “Based on the complaints, our officials have issued notices to seven hotels. We cannot ask them to shut, but this will be a warning,’’ he said. He also said once action is taken, the complainant is updated.

The officials are also handing out Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines which hoteliers have to adopt. “If they fail to adopt these guidelines and if we get complaints regarding this, we will take action,” Harshavardhan said.

According to Chandrashekar Hebbar, president of Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers’ Association, they have over 2,000 members right from darshinis to five-star hotels. “There are hundreds of unlicenced hotels, eateries and darshinis in Bengaluru. We have no issues if action against unhygenic hotels, but what about lack of hygience at roadside eateries? These people run their business without permission. How can action be taken against them?’’ he questioned.

“The food is the same, only the cost differs. People in the hotel industry know that they have to maintain hygiene as their business depends on it. But there might be a few who ignore it and we keep insisting on our members to ensure hygiene,” he said.