How the past gives food for thought about quality

During the French period, government doctor would inspect the kitchen and the staff

At a time when the Government of India is encouraging food business owners to register with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India till 1973, the eateries in Puducherry had a completely different set of rules to abide by to ensure food quality.

The municipality permit issued by the French still hangs on the walls of the Café Lune on Suffren Street, almost 50 years after it was issued.

In those days, the rules were different and the people were willing to obey them. Now, very few of the restaurants and cafes that were run during the French time are still open, and even if they are, the original owners have passed away and the people who run it now do not remember how things were back then, owner of the café G.M. Anwardeen says. 

Until 1973, the Pondicherry Municipality under the mayor was in control of the issue of licences to the various restaurants, bars and cafes. It was only after 1973 that the Union Territory started following the Indian Government’s rules, retired municipality official Rajkumar Gupta said. 

Medical certificate

Unlike what is required today, during the French period, if one wanted to run a hotel establishment, they would have to get a medical certificate from a Government doctor who would not only inspect the kitchen but also the staff.

These doctors would check the eyes, finger and toe nails, hair and skin of the employees. If anyone on the staff had filariasis, which was very common during the time, the entire premises would be sealed. 

Similarly, the establishment would not get a permit if the employees had skin problems, and many times if the nails of the employees were too long, the doctors would have to conduct another visit before issuing the permit. 

According to Ramani, who used to run a tea stall during the French period on M.G. Road said, the rules were different for roadside stalls and for restaurants. 

For roadside restaurants, even if they served food, they would only have to pay tax for the area and there were no special inspections, he said.