Hyderabad restaurants may display hygiene ratings soon, allow third-party inspections

Hyderabad: Restaurants and hotels in Hyderabad may soon display hygiene ratings for customer awareness, following a series of proactive steps by the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) Hyderabad Chapter.

This initiative includes hygiene audits by third-party auditors and a planned Food Safety Week to enhance food safety standards.

The NRAI Food Safety task force met with RV Karnan, State Food Safety commissioner, on Thursday to discuss the implementation of these measures.

Formation of special task force

In response to recent violations of food safety norms by food and beverage establishments, the NRAI Hyderabad Chapter constituted a special Food Safety Task Force on May 27.

This task force, chaired by Sampath Tummala, includes 15 members from various restaurants and aims to collaborate with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Meeting with the Food Safety Commissioner

The task force’s meeting with Karnan focused on strategies to improve food hygiene standards.

Karnan proposed adding hygiene ratings to restaurants, which could be displayed to inform customers. Both parties agreed to host a large event in the coming months to raise awareness of the required protocols.

Immediate actions by task force

The NRAI Food Safety Task Force has initiated several actions to address food safety:

- Awareness Workshops and Training: Multiple FSSAI awareness workshops and training sessions for restaurant members in the city, with the first session held on Thursday.

- Food Safety Week: A food safety week planned in collaboration with FSSAI, the government, and GHMC to raise awareness.

- Hygiene Audits: Implementation of a hygiene audit program with third-party auditors monitoring quality standards.

- Compliance Checklist: Distribution of a comprehensive checklist of compliance requirements based on the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

- Hygiene Rating System: Development of a hygiene rating system for restaurants.

- Medical Camps: Planning multiple medical camps to provide food handler certificates to restaurant staff.

Sampath Tummala, chapter head of NRAI Hyderabad, emphasised the association’s commitment to food safety: “As a responsible body, we have constituted this special taskforce which will take all necessary measures on utmost priority to enhance awareness and knowledge about all required protocols of food safety amongst all F&B Operators. To further revive the confidence of the customers, we have decided to organise multiple training sessions. The day-long workshops, which will be held zone-wise, will focus on reiterating the standards set by the FSSAI; hygiene checks and personal grooming of the staff handling the food.”

The formation of this task force follows multiple crackdowns recently done by the Food Safety Department on food and beverage establishments in Hyderabad for violations of food safety norms.

The NRAI Hyderabad Chapter’s proactive approach in constituting the task force aims to ensure compliance with food safety standards and restore consumer confidence.