All those too-good-to-be-true meals deals that delivery apps have been enticing you with are in fact too good to be true. The state food watchdog surveyed 347 eateries across the metropolis of Mumbai which are serviced through food delivery apps and found out that 100-odd didn't possess the mandatory licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
This means they haven't been adhering to the basic standards set under the law. A majority of them are aligned with Swiggy and Zomato.
Over a 10-day check conducted from September 21 to October 1, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found out that 113 establishments were operating in extremely unhygienic conditions. The food they prepared could pose health hazards to consumers who placed their orders with them, many lured by the extremely cheap deals. FDA has issued stop-business notices to all of them.
The food regulator will initiate action against the non-compliance of these eateries. "It is mandatory that hygiene and sanitation conditions are maintained properly when food is cooked. During our raids, we found that these basic conditions were not met," said Pallavi Darade, FDA commissioner.
Once the errant eateries respond to the legal notices issued by the FDA, the watchdog will initiate further action against them.
The administration will carry out similar raids in the rest of the state as well, Darade said.
Consumer rights organisation Mumbai Grahak Panchayat said a July directive by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to food aggregators for ensuring safety standards was blatantly violated.
The goings-on have led the app operators, mainly Swiggy Zomato, to de-list restaurants found to have breached FSSAI norms.
The consumer body thinks the administrative action has come a little too late. "There is urgent need for FSSAI to audit 'street food' being served to very large segment of consumers. Millions of poor people, particularly wage earners, auto and taxi drivers, unskilled labourers, largely depend on cheap street food. This is where issues of food safety and hygiene arise. FSSAI will do well to focus on this totally unregulated Street Food sector," said advocate Shirish Deshpande, chairman, Mumbai Grahak Panchayat.
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The food regulator will initiate action against the non-compliance of these eateries. "It is mandatory that hygiene and sanitation conditions are maintained properly when food is cooked. During our raids, we found that these basic conditions were not met," said Pallavi Darade, FDA commissioner.
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