FSSAI to give hygiene rating Dehradun's food outlets

Dehradun: Soon you will get to know the hygiene and cleanliness standards of your favourite city restaurant as the country's top food safety regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is set to launch a drive to rate the city-based restaurants on the basis of hygiene standards from Wednesday.

Speaking to TOI, district food safety officer (Food and Drug Administration) Ganesh Kandwal said, “Under this drive, city restaurants, cafes, canteen and other food joints, will be awarded 1 to 5 smileys. More smileys will mean better hygiene standards of the eatery.” 

The official added that displaying the hygiene rating in the restaurant will be mandated so that the consumers are aware of eatery’s cleanliness standards. “The move aims to help consumers make informed choices. This will also encourage the owners to improve their hygiene standards and thus reduce the chances of food-borne ailments,” Kandwal added.

The food department will conduct random inspections in food outlets and hotels to check their hygiene standards and give rating and certificate to the place. “Food outlets will be re-rated once they improve hygiene standards. Also, if we receive a complaint regarding poor hygiene at any food joint, we can conduct random inspections to reassess the ratings of that food business operator,” Kandwal explained. 

On Tuesday, the food safety body also conducted a workshop on Food Safety Training and Certification Program (FOSTAC) hygiene in the city. “During the workshop, the food outlet owners were informed that it is a mandatory requirement for restaurants and hotels (with staff up to 25 people) to have at least one food safety supervisor. The 40 participants of the workshop were also provided with the basic knowledge of hygiene and sanitary requirements in the premises,” Ashish Bhargava, training partner with FSSAI, told TOI.

The participants were also told about issues like waste management, pest control, among others. Notably, FOSTAC will be a mandatory certification under Sec 16(3)(H) of FSSA, 2006.