PUNE: The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has expressed apprehension concerning the large unorganised food business operators and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's effort to keep them under its purview.
The association has appealed to food business operators to obtain licences from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) before the deadline on August 4. "The fact that FSSAI will have a much better and robust infrastructure is good news not just for the hospitality industry but for the common man who consumes food outside his home. However, the unorganised food business operators need to be kept under FSSAI's ambit. Our concern remains that street vendors and eateries that are non-compliant to standards, continue to operate and could pose serious health hazards," said Bharat Malkani, president, HRAWI.
Malkani further stated that HRAWI suspects if such eateries have licences to operate a business, let alone possessing a licence to serve food. "Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene are a distant dream for them yet these eateries continue to thrive. By running businesses without licenses, they do not have to pay taxes. Obviously, they are making profits and eating into the businesses of certified food business operators. Most importantly, they are a threat to health," he said.
At present, experts say the hospitality industry is hard-pressed with taxes and that's why new investors are keeping away from the business. "Older establishments are finding it difficult to survive. In such a scenario, FSSAI's intervention will help the industry in the long run. We hope that there will be a check on eating joints and defined food safety standards, which will not only restrain illegal operation of food business operators but will also help regularise the standards of the food industry on the whole," Malkani added.
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