Your favourite hotels including four and five stars, which serve non-vegetarian food, might not really be serving 100% vegetarian food to you as they claim. Often, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is cooked in common vessels in a common kitchen - which should not happen. Some restaurants even fail to maintain basic hygiene. This is what health department officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation found out during raids at hotels and restaurants in the city last week.
The raids were conducted to find out if there were violations of Food Safety and Standard Act 2001. According to this Act, a restaurant serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian food should have separate kitchens and vessels for both. At Upper Crust Café near Vijay Char Rasta, the officials found that vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was prepared
simultaneously in the small kitchen. Not just this, common vessels were used for both cooking as well as serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.
Chief manager of Upper Crust, Arvind Johar, said, "I agree we do not have separate vessels for preparing different kinds of food. But since, we have come to know of it, we will soon have separate vessels." The kitchen had just one fire extinguisher for both the floors, which had expired long back. AMC fined the café Rs5,000 for its ignorance and carelessness and asked them to ensure that proper measures were taken soon.
The raid at Dominos at Prahladnagar, revealed that all types of pizzas were prepared in the same oven and the same vessels were used for baking of vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas. "Moreover, many of the cooks are not in proper uniform; they did not put on caps, gloves and aprons. Every restaurant has to maintain proper medical certificates of the staff, which was not done here," said a health department official. Shahid Sheth, the manager of Dominos, Prahladnagar, said, "There were no orders from the superiors for separate ovens.
We follow all orders that we receive, so how can it be our fault?" Dominos was fined Rs20,000.
The kitchen of McDonalds was pretty clean; however, the medical check-up licence of the staff had not been renewed. They were charged a fine of Rs3,000.
The kitchens of a large number of popular new eateries in the Prahladnagar area proved to be the biggest disappointment as far as cleanliness andsegregation of food is concerned.
One of the popular take-away cooks non vegetarian and vegetarian food in the same kitchen and in the same vessels. A health official said, "Children were employed to wash utensils, which is not allowed. The workers were not dressed in proper uniforms and the kitchen was messy."Its manager claimed ignorance of the rule and the restaurant got away with a fine of Rs10,000.
A surprise visit was also made to a recently opened specialitiy non-vegetarian restaurant. The restaurant did not have a health licence; the workers were not in uniform; and food that was to be stored at an appropriate temperature was kept on display in the open. The kitchen was unhygienic and stinking. Leftovers of non-vegetarian food were found strewn carelessly on the ground.
The drainage system was faulty and food was kept uncovered in the kitchen. There was neither any ventilation in the place nor any fire extinguisher. The stench from the kitchen had spread to the dining area. The restaurant was fined Rs20,000. Some of the kitchens where straight from the hell. The officials came across a really unclean kitchen opposite the garden. "Serving vessels were common for both types of food. The gutter and the sink were overflowing with dirty water. The restaurant had also employed children," stated AMC health officials.
Its not that the small eateries were the only violators feigning ignorance of the rules. At some of the popular star and chain hotels on the Ashram road, which claimed that they had separate kitchens for vegetarian and non vegetarian food, there were cases of only one kitchen being used. But their kitchens were certainly not as filthy as those of their counterparts in Prahladnagar. Immediately, the hotel staff ordered the cook to take the food to the respective kitchen.
When DNA asked hotel authorities if they were aware of regulations, manager stated, "Yes, we are aware that vegetarian and non-vegetarian food has to be prepared separately. But, the kitchen on the upper floor might have been closed. It was just a mistake. Otherwise, even utensils are washed separately. Copper vessels are used for non-vegetarian food and steel for vegetarian."
The restaurant did not have separate fire extinguishers for separate floors in the kitchen. The hotel was fined Rs10,000 for preparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in the same kitchen. Deputy health officer of west zone Dr Bhavin Solanki stated, "When a restaurant serves both kinds of food, utmost care should be taken. The hotels can at least have separate vessels for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food to maintain hygiene.
We understand that a separate kitchen is difficult for many restaurants, but a partition can be created in the existing kitchen." Dr Milan Naik, deputy health officer of new west zone which includes areas like Prahladnagar, Vastrapur, Bodakdev etc, said, "These raids and the fines are just to warn erring parties. In future we will take stricter action."
The raids were conducted to find out if there were violations of Food Safety and Standard Act 2001. According to this Act, a restaurant serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian food should have separate kitchens and vessels for both. At Upper Crust Café near Vijay Char Rasta, the officials found that vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was prepared
simultaneously in the small kitchen. Not just this, common vessels were used for both cooking as well as serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.
Chief manager of Upper Crust, Arvind Johar, said, "I agree we do not have separate vessels for preparing different kinds of food. But since, we have come to know of it, we will soon have separate vessels." The kitchen had just one fire extinguisher for both the floors, which had expired long back. AMC fined the café Rs5,000 for its ignorance and carelessness and asked them to ensure that proper measures were taken soon.
The raid at Dominos at Prahladnagar, revealed that all types of pizzas were prepared in the same oven and the same vessels were used for baking of vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas. "Moreover, many of the cooks are not in proper uniform; they did not put on caps, gloves and aprons. Every restaurant has to maintain proper medical certificates of the staff, which was not done here," said a health department official. Shahid Sheth, the manager of Dominos, Prahladnagar, said, "There were no orders from the superiors for separate ovens.
We follow all orders that we receive, so how can it be our fault?" Dominos was fined Rs20,000.
The kitchen of McDonalds was pretty clean; however, the medical check-up licence of the staff had not been renewed. They were charged a fine of Rs3,000.
The kitchens of a large number of popular new eateries in the Prahladnagar area proved to be the biggest disappointment as far as cleanliness andsegregation of food is concerned.
One of the popular take-away cooks non vegetarian and vegetarian food in the same kitchen and in the same vessels. A health official said, "Children were employed to wash utensils, which is not allowed. The workers were not dressed in proper uniforms and the kitchen was messy."Its manager claimed ignorance of the rule and the restaurant got away with a fine of Rs10,000.
A surprise visit was also made to a recently opened specialitiy non-vegetarian restaurant. The restaurant did not have a health licence; the workers were not in uniform; and food that was to be stored at an appropriate temperature was kept on display in the open. The kitchen was unhygienic and stinking. Leftovers of non-vegetarian food were found strewn carelessly on the ground.
The drainage system was faulty and food was kept uncovered in the kitchen. There was neither any ventilation in the place nor any fire extinguisher. The stench from the kitchen had spread to the dining area. The restaurant was fined Rs20,000. Some of the kitchens where straight from the hell. The officials came across a really unclean kitchen opposite the garden. "Serving vessels were common for both types of food. The gutter and the sink were overflowing with dirty water. The restaurant had also employed children," stated AMC health officials.
Its not that the small eateries were the only violators feigning ignorance of the rules. At some of the popular star and chain hotels on the Ashram road, which claimed that they had separate kitchens for vegetarian and non vegetarian food, there were cases of only one kitchen being used. But their kitchens were certainly not as filthy as those of their counterparts in Prahladnagar. Immediately, the hotel staff ordered the cook to take the food to the respective kitchen.
When DNA asked hotel authorities if they were aware of regulations, manager stated, "Yes, we are aware that vegetarian and non-vegetarian food has to be prepared separately. But, the kitchen on the upper floor might have been closed. It was just a mistake. Otherwise, even utensils are washed separately. Copper vessels are used for non-vegetarian food and steel for vegetarian."
The restaurant did not have separate fire extinguishers for separate floors in the kitchen. The hotel was fined Rs10,000 for preparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in the same kitchen. Deputy health officer of west zone Dr Bhavin Solanki stated, "When a restaurant serves both kinds of food, utmost care should be taken. The hotels can at least have separate vessels for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food to maintain hygiene.
We understand that a separate kitchen is difficult for many restaurants, but a partition can be created in the existing kitchen." Dr Milan Naik, deputy health officer of new west zone which includes areas like Prahladnagar, Vastrapur, Bodakdev etc, said, "These raids and the fines are just to warn erring parties. In future we will take stricter action."
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