Cockroaches, Flies, Expired food found at Delhi Hotels Booked For BRICS Summit
Two hotels in Delhi’s Aerocity, which are booked to be full of visitors for the upcoming BRICS Summit, are under the scanner of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) following inspections of their food safety, hygiene and storage-related deficiencies.
The inspections at Andaz Delhi by Hyatt and JW Marriott New Delhi revealed some issues such as expired food products and pest activity and refrigeration, food storage and employee hygiene among others. The findings have arrived at a key time as the national capital gears up for the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13.
The inspections are a reminder of what the food safety and hygiene standards in hotels that will be expected to accommodate a large number of international delegates and foreign guests are going to be.
87 Kg of Expired Sweets found At Andaz Delhi
The FSSAI inspection at Andaz Delhi was conducted on June 22, 2026. They noted several deficiencies in the hotel's food-handling and kitchen practices, including inadequate segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
According to the inspection findings, vegetarian and non-vegetarian cutting boards were kept in the same water container. Two bread packets also had expired stickers, the inspection found.
One of the most important findings was in the confectionery section where approximately 87 kg of expired sweets were found. The expired sweets were destroyed at the site, the inspection report said.
The pastry section also had an expired cake base. Flies and cockroaches were allegedly found in the area, and pest activity and foul smell were found in parts of the kitchen.
The inspection also raised questions about the hotel's procurement processes and the process used to verify the FSSAI licences of food suppliers. Samples of food products such as ghee, mayonnaise, lentils and sauces were collected for further examination.
JW Marriott Inspection Flags 59 Deficiencies
The inspection at JW Marriott New Delhi was conducted on August 24 and 25. FSSAI officials reported 59 deficiencies related to food safety, hygiene, storage and infrastructure during the two-day exercise, the agency said.
The inspection also found that the FSSAI licence or endorsement was not available for some food products. They also found labelling errors for packaged food items.
At K3, the hotel restaurant, a visible particle was found in water being served to customers. Pest-related concerns were also found in several sections of the hotel.
Cockroaches were found in the Indian and bakery kitchens, fruit flies in the vegetable section. Food residue on washed utensils and hair in a cooking pot were also detected, the inspection found.
Several dustbins were filled to overflowing, some were not attached by lids or pedals properly. These observations raised questions of waste management and hygiene in food preparation areas.
Refrigeration And Storage problems reported
A number of problems were also detected in refrigeration and food storage during the inspection. Some refrigerators and freezers were leaking water and some equipment was said to be broken.
Rotten apples and tomatoes were discovered in storage areas. Food items were also kept in the open and insufficient segregation between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food storage was found.
One strange labelling error is a container containing prawns was supposed to be called juice and juice was called prawn. Such errors can cause food handling and storage issues to be confused and the correct identification of ingredients.
Cockroaches and broken containers were also found in the bakery section, apparently. Idli-dosa batter and praline paste were not stored at the prescribed temperature, according to the inspection findings.
Employee hygiene was also a concern. It is alleged that workers were said to be handling food without proper hairnets or gloves. One worker was found cooking despite having an open wound.
Infrastructure And Hygiene Concerns
Besides food-related issues, the inspection highlighted a number of infrastructure and maintenance issues. Open electrical wires and faulty plug-switches were found in different areas.
Corrosion was also detected in the storage tank in the hotel's water-bottling area. Such observations were part of the wider set of deficiencies identified during the inspection.
FSSAI officials also collected samples of several food and water products from JW Marriott New Delhi. These included water, paneer, khoya, rasmalai and red velvet sponge, among other products.
Such inspections underscore the need for hotels that serve large numbers of guests to meet the same standards in kitchens, storage areas, restaurants and food-handling businesses.
Findings come ahead of BRICS Summit.
The findings have attracted particular attention because the two hotels are located in Aerocity and have reportedly been chosen to accommodate foreign guests arriving for the BRICS Summit.
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. India will host the high-profile event as part of its BRICS chairship in 2026.
FSSAI has directed the hotels to take corrective action on the deficiencies identified during the inspections. The inspections are part of food safety oversight and do not, by themselves, establish that all food served at the hotels was unsafe.
But the findings underscore the need to ensure that hotels associated with the summit comply with food safety, hygiene and sanitation requirements before international delegations arrive in the capital.
India's BRICS 2026 chairmanship is on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” With leaders and senior delegations from BRICS member countries expected to attend the summit, preparations in Delhi will be closely examined in advance of the event.
