In an attempt to raise the standards of dining out, the food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will start hygiene rating to restaurants in Coimbatore.
The initiative will also give a chance for restauranters to obtain FSSAI's rating tag and improve their customer base by displaying the level of compliance to food safety norms.
K. Tamilselvan, Designated Food Safety Officer for Coimbatore, said that the hygiene rating will be accorded to restaurants in four grades such as very good, good, fair, needs improvement and poor for scores ranging from zero to 100.
“The hygiene rating system checks compliance to various food safety requirements, including hygiene of the restaurant and its employees, registration with FSSAI, display of the licence at the restaurant, display of the result of periodical water test and food test from a laboratory accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL),” he said.
The hygiene ratings will start with a self-assessment by the food business operator to check compliance with various requirements. This will be followed by the verification by the food safety officer, who will accord the rating as per the level of compliance.
The tag ‘Responsible Place to Eat’ will be given to restaurants which get a rating of good and very good. The tag will enhance the commercial viability of the restaurant and it can also be used in the restaurant’s profile in food delivery applications like Swiggy, Zomato and Uber Eats.
“There should be a food safety supervisor for every 25 employees in a restaurant to undergo the hygiene rating. These supervisors should be qualified after undergoing Food Safety Training and Certification (FOSTAC) training. The FOSTAC certificate of the supervisors should be displayed at the restaurant. The restaurants should also display the purple colour Food Safety Display Board of FSSAI which contains the 12 golden rules of food safety,” added Dr. Tamilselvan.
Apart from restaurants, other food business operators like manufacturer, retailer and supplier can also undergo the hygiene rating.
No comments:
Post a Comment