Amid FDA's action, hospitality industry highlights food safety challenges in India

Last month the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration FDA temporarily shut six wellknown Mumbai restaurants after surprise inspections allegedly uncovered food safety and hygiene violations including improperly stored ingredients expired products and lapses in labelling and kitchen practices While few in the industry dispute the need for strict food safety enforcement the crackdown has triggered a wider conversation about how regulations are implementedSeveral restaurateurs speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation argue that the current system focuses on catching violations rather than preventing them They say restaurants are willing to comply but need clearer communication consistent regulations and greater accountability across the entire food supply chain Herersquos what they had to sayEducate before you penaliseRestaurant owners say compliance shouldnrsquot begin with surprise raids ldquoWhile there may be defaulters most restaurant owners arenrsquot intentionally violating rules They donrsquot know whatrsquos changed For example restaurants are now being told that vegetables must be stored separately Many owners found out through Instagram instead of an official circular We pay for licences renewals and inspections every yearIf regulations are updated why isnrsquot there a proper system like downloadable compliance manuals regular workshops and briefings with restaurant associations to tell us what has changed and give us 30 or 60 days to comply The police conduct meetings before New Yearrsquos Eve to explain crowd management and safety protocols Why canrsquot food authorities do the same That would empower the industry instead of shutting businesses overnightrdquo says restaurateur Nikhil Sharma name changedCheck the problem sourceOperators insist that restaurants are only one link in a much larger supply chain ldquoWe understand where the FSSAI and FDA are coming from Food safety is essential But restaurants donrsquot manufacture most of what they use Wersquore dependent on suppliers and often we donrsquot even know exactly where a product originatesrdquo They cite analogue paneer as the latest example ldquoIf analogue paneer is unsafe ban it Why wait until restaurants to buy it and then raid them Regulation has to begin at production not only at the point of salerdquo adds SharmaWhich rule to followOverlapping regulators create confusion ldquoAn example of this is that the FDA approves certain food colouring brands which are different from the FSSAIs list Why this discrepancy questions restaurateur Govind Rai name changedPolitics of itRai shares that it starts with the dirty politics of having to get separate licenses from the state and central authorities just to operate He shares You know how much of it happens under the table Even though there is a legal framework there are still unofficial taxes and payments involved We pay for garbage collection and then we also end up paying other people under the table for the same servicesMice are out to playThe rat infestation never gets properly resolved because the BMC is not effectively managing the issue If they started encouraging cleaner bettermaintained streets and focused on hygiene at a larger level it would create a much better system suggests SharmaA few rotten tomatoesMany believe inspection reports often fail to distinguish between stored produce and food being served ldquoIn storing 200 kilograms of tomatoes a few would be rotten Thatrsquos natural It doesnrsquot mean wersquore cooking with themrdquo says restaurateur Ayushi Pandey name changedReputations arent built by serving bad foodOperators say decadesold businesses have too much at stake to compromise food quality knowingly ldquoNo restaurant survives for long by serving unhygienic food Just because inspectors find expired ingredients in a storeroom doesnrsquot mean customers are served thatrdquo says PandeyUniform for allMany argue that enforcement disproportionately targets licensed restaurants ldquoRestaurants pay taxes maintain licences and undergo inspections Street vendors should also meet basic hygiene standards Wersquore not asking for street food to be banned Wersquore asking for consistent rulesrdquo says Pandey They also point to fish markets and roadside food stalls where uncovered food is routinely exposed to fliesCompliance shouldnt be impossibleRestaurant owners also highlight conflicting regulations ldquoWersquore told food must be covered to prevent crosscontamination but cling wrap is discouraged because of plastic regulations If thatrsquos the case first make biodegradable alternatives affordable and easily available You canrsquot ask restaurants to follow contradictory thingsrdquo says SharmaUmbrella rulesThere are too many different departments and authorities involved in the process There are different people handling various parts of the protocol Why canrsquot we simply have one dedicated person who takes care of everything through a singlewindow system There should also be a separate approach for smaller homegrown businesses because we are not large corporations We are just ordinary people trying to run a business Nobody has the intention of putting peoples health at risk adds PandeyFood safety is bigger than labelsSome question whether paperwork has become more important than practice ldquoLabels can be changed A sticker doesnrsquot make food safe Proper sourcing storage and handling dordquo Others point out that water quality and supplier practices are often beyond a restaurantrsquos control ldquoItrsquos easy to blame restaurants because theyrsquore visible but food safety involves the entire supply chainrdquo says RaiCheck everyoneThe industry also questions whether all food businesses face the same scrutiny ldquoToday someone can apply online for an FSSAI licence for a home kitchen in minutes But who actually visits to check hygiene Many of these are run from regular homes and there is never a check on the ingredients or procedures Restaurants on the other hand are inspected constantly and by various departments including state health officers etc while many food businesses operate without the same level of scrutinyrdquo says PandeyFear of being targetedPerhaps the strongest sentiment right now is the fear of speaking out ldquoIf you own five or six restaurants employing hundreds of people you canrsquot risk becoming a target Everyone wants to share their concerns but theyrsquore afraidrdquo admits SharmaPublic shaming helps no oneOwners also question the practice of inspection photographs circulating publicly before investigations are complete ldquoIf authorities find violations action should absolutely be taken But leaking photographs destroys a restaurantrsquos reputation overnight even before due process is completerdquo asks RaiPandey feels that in some ways it is good that everyone is being brought into compliance But I think some places are being unfairly targeted or vandalised instead of simply being corrected because authorities want to make an example out of themWhat the industry wantsRestaurateurs maintain that food adulteration and unsafe practices deserve zero tolerance Their argument isnrsquot against regulation but against inconsistent enforcement Their wish list is straightforward clearer communication practical guidebooks collaboration with restaurant associations reasonable compliance timelines consistent standards across restaurants street vendors and home kitchens and stronger action at the manufacturing and supplier levelAs one restaurateur summed it up ldquoFood safety isnrsquot only the responsibility of restaurants Itrsquos everyonersquos responsibility and its time we start taking collective onus to make the city a true food capital of Indiardquo