Dec 30, 2017
Food safety officials check 25 restaurants
Vadodara: The food safety department of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) stepped up its drive to check restaurants on Friday. Officials checked 25 restaurants in different parts of the city.
The drive began on Thursday when the civic body officials checked 13 restaurants in different parts of the city. With the New Year eve festivities nearing, VMC has increased vigilance to ensure that quality and hygiene of food items are maintained. Thousands of people will flock to these restaurants on Sunday night to usher in 2018.
The restaurants checked on Friday included those n Fatehgunj, Sangam, Harni and Sayajigunj areas. Samples of prepared food as well as raw materials were collected from here even as 62kg of food items kept in unhygienic conditions were disposed of by the officials. The officials also issued notices to four restaurants.
15 eateries closed down
Violation of food safety standards detected
Officials of the Food Safety Commissionerate have shut down 15 eateries functioning close to the Secretariat and the legislators’ hostel on charges of violation of food safety standards.
Ten special squads conducted raids on 60 restaurants and found many establishments to have flouted basic hygiene standards that had been prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The eateries that were found to have functioned without the requisite licence and also failed to ensure the quality norms included the Hotel Chirag Inn, Trivandrum Cafeteria, Hotel Casamia, Jithu Joji eatery and Deepa Hotel at Palayam, an eatery at Vanross Junction, and the Housing Board canteen.
Besides, the squads also found some other restaurants, including Hotel Aroma Classic at Vanross Junction, Gulan Fast Food at Palayam, Hotel Teekay International, Hotel Arul Jyothi at Statue, Hotel Zam Zam at Palayam, KeralaUniversity Library canteen, Kuttanad Restaurant (near AKG Centre) and another outlet that sold meals at Vanross Junction had maintained low standards of hygiene. These restaurants were ordered to be closed down with immediate effect. A total fine of ₹3,42,500 was also collected by the squads from 10 eateries for non-compliance with the prescribed norms.
McDonald's 'blatantly' ignores food quality issues, follows different food standards for India: Vikram Bakshi
McDonald's India partner Vikram Bakshi on Thursday hit out at the fast food major, saying it follows 'different standards' for India compared to other countries and continuously ignored the food quality concerns raised by him in the past four years. His remarks came hours after McDonald's suggested that CPRL's new logistic vendor may pose risk to McDonald's food quality and safety standards.
Bakshi said: "It appears that McDonald's have global standards for food safety and supplies, and they have a very different set of standards for countries like ours which is a clear double standard."
Fight between McDonald's and its India partner Vikram Bakshi has been going on for a few years. However, the latest round of exchanges started earlier this week after CPRL's logistics partner Radhakrishna Foodland stopped the supply that led to the shutdown of all McDonald's outlets in East India.
Vikram Bakshi blamed McDonald's for the 'abrupt supply disruptions' and partnered with a new logistics vendor ColdEX. Bakshi's move did not go well with McDonald's. The fast food giant alleged it had not approved the new vendor. McDonald's said: "Using unapproved vendors for the supply chain is creating serious compliance risks to McDonalds standards for food quality and safety."
To which Bakshi responded, saying that issues concerning public health have been blatantly ignored by McDonald's with no responses, visits or actions on food safety. "It is indeed ironic that the conscience of McDonald's has suddenly awakened to quality and food safety in India, when for the past four years, CPRL has been bringing to their attention, including their CEO, Steve Easterbrook, issues of the same, without extracting a single response or visit from them," Bakshi said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Radhakrishna Foodland had discontinued its supply services alleging reduction in volume and non-payment of certain dues, among others. Termination of supplies affected about 100 restaurants in East and North India. Bakshi said this was a pre-planned step in collusion with McDonald's and their wholly owned subsidiary in India MIPL. Later, NCLT-appointed CPRL administrator asked Radhakrishna Foodland to resume the supply services as the termination was in contravention of the NCLT judgement that ordered for smooth functioning of the CPRL restaurants without any hindrance.
The fight between McDonald's and Bakshi began in 2013 after fast food giant removed Bakshi as the Managing Director of CPRL. The National Company Law Tribunal later reinstated him and also refrained McDonald's from interfering in the functioning of CPRL besides appointing an administrator to oversee the smooth functioning of CPRL. The battle which gained momentum after Bakhshi's ouster turned ugly when McDonald's India terminated the franchise agreement of 169 outlets this year in August. Both the parties are now fighting out their case in various legal forums including NCLT, NCLAT and Delhi high court. Meanwhile, Bakshi continues to operate the outlets.
McDonald's follows different food safety and supply standards for India, alleges Vikram Bakshi
New Delhi: McDonald's estranged partner Vikram Bakshi on Thursday hit out at the fast food major, saying it follows "different standards" for India compared to other countries and continuously ignored the food quality concerns raised by him for the past four years.
Bakshi's response came after McDonald's India earlier alleged lapses in food quality and safety level by "all facets of the supply chain".
"It appears that McDonald's have global standards for food safety and supplies, and they have a very different set of standards for countries like ours which is a clear double standard," Bakshi alleged.
Countering Bakshi, McDonald's India said: "Using unapproved vendors for the supply chain is creating serious compliance risks to McDonald's standards for food quality and safety."
The battle between McDonald's India and Bakshi-led Connaught Plaza Restaurants Ltd (CPRL) intensified after the latters logistics partner Radhakrishna Foodland abruptly stopped supplies, which led to closure of about 84 outlets, mostly in east India and some in north on Monday.
Sixteen of the 84 outlets resumed operations today after Bakshi roped in a new logistics vendor ColdEX.
Meanwhile, the fast food giant has alleged that the new vendor is not approved by it.
Bakshi said issues that concern public health of this country have been blatantly ignored by the American company with no responses, visits or actions on food safety issues that were red flagged for immediate attention.
"It is indeed ironic that the conscience of McDonald's has suddenly awakened to quality and food safety in India, when for the past four years, CPRL has been bringing to their attention, including their CEO, Steve Easterbrook, issues of the same, without extracting a single response or visit from them," he said in a statement.
Radhakrishna Foodland had discontinued its supply services alleging reduction in volume and non-payment of certain dues, among others. McDonald's India further said that globally, it works closely with trusted network of suppliers to uphold stringent practices and efforts over the years have been successful in consistently reducing customer complaints.
Stating that the termination of supplies has affected about 100 restaurants, Bakshi said this is a pre-planned step in collusion with McDonald's and their wholly owned subsidiary in India McDonald's India Pvt Ltd.
He further said the termination is in contravention of the NCLT judgement that ordered for smooth functioning of the CPRL restaurants without any hindrance.
After Bakshi was ousted as the MD of CPRL in 2013, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) reinstated him to his position and also refrained McDonald's from interfering in the functioning of CPRL besides appointing an administrator to oversee the smooth functioning of CPRL.
The battle which gained momentum after Bakhshi's ouster turned ugly when McDonald's India terminated the franchise agreement with in August. Both the parties are now fighting out their case in various legal forums including NCLT, NCLAT and Delhi high court.
Meanwhile, Bakshi continues to operate the outlets.
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