Flies, Rodent Droppings, Expired Ingredients Found During Food Safety Checks At Major Pizza Chains In Indore

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Food Safety Administration inspected several major restaurant chains in the city on Tuesday and found violations involving food storage, hygiene, pest control, labelling and documentation.

According to Senior Food Safety Officer Manish Swami, inspectors at Subway on Sapna-Sangeeta Road found vegetarian and non-vegetarian food stored together in a refrigerator. The kitchen also lacked an anti-slip mat.

At KFC in Phoenix Citadel Mall, the person-in-charge named on the food safety licence was absent. Certificates of Analysis (COA) for raw materials and ready-to-serve food were unavailable, while only two of four compartments had proper vegetarian/non-vegetarian tags.

Inspectors also found open dustbins, while medical fitness and vaccination records of food handlers were unavailable.

At Pizza Hut in the mall, food handlers' medical fitness records were incomplete and vaccination records unavailable. The person-in-charge was absent, COAs for raw and prepared food were unavailable and flies were found in the food preparation area.

At La Pino'z Pizza, some ingredients, including black olives, jalapeno and red paprika, had a use-by date of Sep 14, a day before the inspection.

Medical fitness certificates and water testing reports were unavailable. Four food samples, including paneer and sauces, were collected for testing.

At Domino's Pizza on Sapna-Sangeeta Road, vegetarian and non-vegetarian items were stored separately but handled on the same make-line. The kitchen lacked clear vegetarian/non-vegetarian markings.

Flies were found in the eating area and rodent droppings near the packaging material storage area. Samples of paneer and pizza cheese spread were collected.

The Food Safety Administration issued improvement notices to the establishments, directing them to rectify deficiencies within the prescribed time. Further legal action will follow if violations are not rectified.