Hotels that serve vegetarian and non-vegetarian food need to be extra cautious from now on. They cannot use the same vessels, used to cook non-vegetarian food, for preparing vegetarian food. If a hotel is found using the same vessels for non-vegetarian as well as vegetarian food, it will lose its licence.
As per the Food Safety & Standards Regulations, 2001, raw meat and processed meat should be separated from other foods; items and surfaces. Separate items such as boards, dishes and knives and preparation area for raw meats and poultry and marine products should be used to avoid cross contamination of food. It does not end at this point; one should avoid re-use of cooking oil for preparing the food.
According to CR Srinivas Gowda, Deputy Director, Public Health Institute, the hotels that violate the norms will lose trade licence. “A hotel cannot function without a licence. It will invite a six-month imprisonment and penalty if any hotelier, whose licence was cancelled, found continue serving food to customers,’’ said Srinivasa Gowda.
Echoing similar opinion, Dr Manjula, Chief Health Officer, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that health officers of BBMP would follow the Food Safety Regulations to ensure all eateries ensure that same vessels are not used for cooking non-vegetarian and vegetarian food.
Many vegetarians welcomed the Food Safety & Standards Regulations, stating that it will enable them to have vegetarian food without lingering doubts. “If the rule is implemented, I can go to any hotel that serve non-vegetarian and vegetarian food and have vegetarian food without any lingering doubt,’’ said Naveen Kumar of Ulsoor.
However, the norm of having separate kitchens or floors for non-vegetarian food at restaurants that serve both types of food will become a problem since they cannot sit together to have food as per their choice. “Let us assume that we are five friends and among them two are non-vegetarians. We want to occupy one table and have the food. We would not want to sit separately for obvious reasons,’’ said Vamshi Krishna.
N Mohan Reddy, Chairman, Nagarajuna Group of Hotels, has said that having separate kitchen will be an additional burden on hoteliers who have already been struggling to pay rental amount and salaries to employees. “I have no problem in having separate kitchens for cooking non-vegetarian food since most of our hotels have an exclusive floor to cater to the needs of customers who prefer non-vegetarian food,’’ said Reddy.
