Zomato starts delisting restaurant partners without FSSAI licence

Move comes after the food safety authority’s clampdown

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 4

Food aggregator Zomato on Tuesday said that it has decided to start delisting unlicensed restaurants from its platform.

This delisting drive by Zomato comes after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had pulled up food aggregators for not complying with its guidelines that became operational in February.

In a blogpost, Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO, Zomato, stated that “starting today we are de-listing hundreds of restaurants from our food ordering platform for not being compliant to FSSAI regulations. These restaurants were not able to furnish an FSSAI licence to Zomato.”

“As and when these restaurants provide us their FSSAI licences, we will enable them for online ordering service,” he added.

Zomato also said that some restaurants that were not able to furnish their FSSAI licences but “have high Zomato ratings and high repeat order volumes on Zomato”, have been given time till September-end to comply.

FSSAI guidelines

In its guidelines, the FSSAI has said that it is mandatory for e-commerce food services platforms to display the FSSAI licence or registration number of the restaurants listed on their platforms. In addition, food e-commerce players, excluding those that only provide listing or directory services, need to obtain an FSSAI licence.

However, in a review conducted on August 2, the FSSAI found that 30-40 per cent of restaurants listed on these platforms were either unlicensed or unregistered.

“FSSAI and Zomato have worked together to take strict action in the interest of public health. In fact, we will make sure that we don’t list any cloud kitchen on Zomato unless and until it goes through our mandatory hygiene check,which is a food safety and hygiene checklist,” Goyal wrote in his blog. This hygiene check will be conducted by a third party agency.

The food safety Authority had last month asked food aggregators to submit an action taken report on delisting unlicensed and non-registered restaurants.

Hyderabad markets replete with China powder-laced fruits

HYDERABAD: How safe are those juicy fruits you gorge on? A TOI recce at city markets found that vendors were using carcinogenic agents to ripen fruits. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines allow use of compressed ethylene gas, ethanol, ethephon but prohibits China powder.

At markets in Kothapet, Mehdipatnam and Mozamjahi, boxes of papayas and bananas were found stuffed with China powder. "We cannot meet the demand only with naturally ripened fruits," said a vendor in Kothapet.

A recent test by the state food laboratory found presence of calcium carbide, arsenic and phosphorus in fruits.

The FSSAI guidelines do not allow any source of ethylene or ethylene gas coming in direct contact with fruits.

Purchasing ethephon needs government nod but China powder is easy to buy. The powder imported from China reaches city markets via Mumbai and Chennai ports. China powder pouches, however, carry no mention of its chemical composition. Although 'carbide-free' fruits were common during the mango season, now those are hard to find.

Doctors advise people to avoid artificially ripened fruits. "It may cause gastro-intestinal diseases and even lead to headache and dizziness," said Dr Sudarshan Reddy, general physician, Continental Hospital.

TWO FOOD SAFETY OFFICERS, 8 MEDICAL OFFICERS PLACED UNDER SUSPENSION

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday ordered to suspend food safety officers of two districts and eight medical officers for their alleged negligence in collecting samples of adulterated Khoya, paneer and other milk products from various districts in the state.

The Minister was presiding over a review meeting of the Department, here.

Vij ordered to suspend food safety officers, Prem Singh of Hisar and Shyam Lal Mahiwal of Karnal on finding unsatisfactory data regarding sample collection of adulterated milk products.

He said that during this season, 213 samples have been collected from all districts which included maximum 22 samples collected from Gurugram, 20 from Fatehabad, 16 from Panchkula and Faridabad, 13 from Jind, 12 from Rewari and Kaithal, 11 from Sirsa and Mewat, 10 each from Ambala, Palwal, Sonipat and Yamunanagar.

Prosecution against food adulterators adversely affected: HC

SRINAGAR, Sept 4: The High Court today observed that prosecution against food adulterators is adversely affected as there is no Legal Cell in place with the Government.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Alok Aradhe while hearing a Public Interest against the food adulteration has granted last opportunity to the State Government to take the efficient steps in order to remove all the deficiencies and place the action taken report before the Court in shape of affidavit with 10 days.

During the course of proceedings in the matter, Amicus Curie to the PIL, Senior Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir submitted before the Court that despite repeated orders, the authorities to some extent have improved, but still a lot has to be done by them to prevent the adulterated food from selling to general public as such he submitted, let Commissioner Food be directed to be present in the Court and he shall explain as to why despite Court orders, authorities have failed to implement the Food Safety Standards Act in its letter and spirit.

Court on perusal of the compliance report in terms of previous order, said the same is insufficient and only make references of issues taken up with the concerned departments.

Court also said that the staff for Food Safety Commission has not been addressed and recorded in the order that the court was inclined to impose heavy costs on the authorities but on the request of State counsel one more opportunity has been given.

Court on perusal of its previous order said the report is not in tune with its directions. Court on previous hearing had directed the concerned authorities to constantly check the poultry farms and ensure complete ban of use of antibiotics in the poultries.

Concerned Administrative Departments of the State Government were directed to have a constant check and monitor on the poultry farms, so that the poultry is reared in hygienic environment and ensure complete ban on the use of antibiotics like nalidixic acid and cirpofloxin or any other harmful ingredients in any poultry.

State counsel fairly submitted that the State is under an obligation to ensure the implementation of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and further added that the State Government shall take all positive steps to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Act.

Concerned Administrative Departments of the State Government were directed to ensure that the regular inspection of bakers shall be undertaken, and to take samples in order to check the ingredients used by them and not to allow them to sell pastry, cakes and loose biscuits without manufacturing and expiry date.

Gujarat has fallen behind in food fortification: FSSAI

Gujarat has been battling child and maternal malnutrition for several years. In 2013, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) had pointed out that every third child in the state is underweight despite providing supplementary nutrition to targeted children between 2007-12.

Gujarat has been battling child and maternal malnutrition for several years.

The CEO of India’s food regulator on Tuesday that Gujarat, which had taken a lead in food fortification, has fallen behind other states like Haryana which are implementing it at a faster pace. Food fortification is enrichment of food by adding micro-nutrients to it.

Speaking at an event here, Pawan Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said, “Gujarat was ahead in the initiative of food fortification. Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) in 2006 (when he was the chief minister of Gujarat) had started edible oil and wheat flour fortification from the state… I want to say that though Gujarat had taken the initiative, it has fallen behind a little.”

Agarwal said that the FSSAI was currently running a campaign across the country to overcome micronutrient deficiencies by fortifying five staples, including wheat flour, edible oil, milk, salt and rice. “Haryana and other states are doing the work of food fortification at a faster speed. The competition has become tough for you (Gujarat). The state needs to re-visit the issue of food fortification,” he said, adding that “food fortification is a direct and a cheap way to supply micro-nutrients” and fortification of staples will help in addressing the deficiencies of iron, folic acid and other vitamins.

Gujarat has been battling child and maternal malnutrition for several years. In 2013, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) had pointed out that every third child in the state is underweight despite providing supplementary nutrition to targeted children between 2007-12.

The FSSAI CEO, however, congratulated Gujarat for being “one of the best performing states” on food safety. “The reputation of food safety administration across the country is not very good to an extent. Compared to other states, the food state administration here in Gujarat is one of the best performing in the country,” he said. Agarwal also launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) application at a hotel here.