Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a surprise inspection at the canteen inside Mantralaya, the state's administrative headquarters in Mumbai.
Food preparation areas, storage facilities, cleanliness standards, and the overall hygiene practices of the canteen staff were visited in the inspection. With the raid, the FDA instructed the canteen management to immediately enhance hygiene measures to ensure that food is safe for government employees and visitors.
One of the key directives given during the inspection was that all food handlers must wear hand gloves and protective caps as they prepare and serve food.
Proper personal hygiene is a must in order to avoid food contamination and the risk of food-borne illness, officials said.
The FDA also advised canteen authorities to cover prepared food items in mesh nets to avoid dust, insects, and other contaminants from getting into the food and causing food quality and public health problems.
The inspection comes as food safety authorities are aggressively enforcing hygiene norms at restaurants, canteens, and other food facilities in Maharashtra. Surprise inspections are conducted regularly to detect violations of food safety laws and ensure that places are in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Food in government buildings has to be of the same quality and hygiene standards as any licensed food business, they said. As hundreds of employees, visitors, and officials eat at the Mantralaya canteen every day, cleanliness standards are a priority.
The canteen management quickly took corrective action in accordance with the FDA's guidelines. Staff were seen wearing gloves and caps while handling food, and mesh covers were placed over cooked food items to make them clean and prevent contamination.
Food safety experts have long stressed that basic preventive measures such as good hand hygiene, protective clothing, clean utensils, and covered food storage significantly reduce food contamination. Such practices also help to promote consumer confidence in food establishments.
The FDA has said that food business operators must comply with prescribed safety standards at all times and not only during inspections. Periodic checks will continue throughout the state to ensure food safety requirements are adhered to.
The recent inspection at the Mantralaya canteen is a reminder that food hygiene is a perennial duty. Food safety is in the service of the public, so we must monitor the food and take care of it on a regular basis, and staff training and safety protocols are high.
The FDA’s action is in keeping with the government’s commitment to better food safety standards in the public sector and to ensuring that canteens serving thousands of people every day are clean, and hygiene is maintained.
