Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A team of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Western region, conducted a sudden inspection at Hotel Radisson and found cockroaches and flies in the staff canteen and raw material storage area. The team also found various expired food products being used in the kitchen, while major non-compliance with respect to general hygienic and good manufacturing practices was found.
A team led by Sheela Gauli, designated officer and Central Licensing Authority, Madhya Pradesh, and comprising Vaidehi Kalzunkar, scientist-I and Mukesh Gite, technical officer, conducted the inspection of the hotel on Tuesday.
“On inspection of the premises, some raw materials—such as tea, mouth freshener, peanut butter, vinegar used for preparation of food were expired or were exceeding the best before date as per their respective product labels. These raw materials, if used for preparing the food, would have been unsafe for consumption and could have posed a risk to the health of the consumers,” Gauli told Free Press.
She added that it was found that raw potatoes and ginger kept in storage containers were rotten and sorting of good and rotten potatoes and ginger was not done. “In the kitchen area, boiled and unpeeled potatoes were found in rotten condition. The pickle jars containing pickles were kept open without their lids, while pest control management was not in place as cockroaches and flies were found in the staff canteen and raw material storage area,” the FSSAI officer said, adding, “On analysing the severity of the situation, the expired products were destroyed.”
The hotel management also failed to produce records for mandatory documents, such as pest control management, third-party auditing, records, approved vendors’ list, consumer complaint redressal and others. Trained supervisors were also not appointed according to the mandate of the FSSAI, FOSTAC.
“Further action for noted violations according to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and regulations will be initiated by the FSSAI. We’ll continue to take active steps for verifying compliances in 5-star hotels to protect the consumers’ interest and keep strict control over negligence in the food service industry.
‘Routine inspection, received no notice’
‘We have an FSSAI licence and a team of FSSAI inspects the hotel regularly. We haven’t received any information or notice from the FSSAI about any action, so far’
— Manas Banerjee, general manager, Hotel Radisson
‘Expired products destroyed’
‘Raw potatoes and ginger kept in storage containers were rotten and sorting of good and rotten potatoes and ginger was not done. In the kitchen area, boiled and unpeeled potatoes were found in rotten condition. The pickle jars containing pickles were kept open without their lids, while pest control management was not in place as cockroaches and flies were found in the staff canteen and raw material storage area. On analysing the severity of the situation, the expired products were destroyed’
— Sheela Gauli, designated officer and Central Licensing Authority, Madhya Pradesh
