Amid relentless action in Mumbai and Bengaluru, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday swung into action in Delhi and slapped notices on two five-star hotels in Delhi’s Aerocity over hygiene issues.
The food regulator issued notices to Andaz-Delhi, operated by Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd, and JW Marriott, after inspections unravelled food safety, hygiene, storage and licensing violations.
The inspection teams also found cockroaches on the premises. The FSSAI collected regulatory samples from both establishments. The food regulatory body said that further action will depend on their compliance and the outcome of laboratory analysis.
In a social media post, the regulator informed that notices have been issued "over serious food safety violations and non-compliance with FSSAI requirements."
In the JW Marriott case, the inspection exposed inadequate pest control, presence of cockroaches and fruit flies, and poor maintenance of food premises. The inspection team also found spoiled/fungal-affected food in the hotel with improper food storage and cross-contamination risks.
"These included fungal growth on apples, rotten tomatoes, uncovered food, damaged storage containers, inadequate vegetarian/non-vegetarian segregation, improperly stored cut vegetables and food products not maintained as per prescribed storage conditions," FSSAI said.
The food regulator also observed that various kitchens and food preparation areas, including the Chinese, Indian, Italian and bakery kitchens, showed deficiencies.
The inspection team also pointed out deficiencies in the water bottling area, dry store, coffee shop and vegetable preparation area, including rusting of the drinking-water storage tank. "The overall inspection revealed deficiencies relating to licensing/KOB compliance, labelling, food storage, temperature control, sanitation, pest control, personal hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, allergen management, traceability, maintenance and potable water," the regulator said.
Inspection at Andaz Hotel
On the other hand, active cockroaches near freezers, houseflies, mosquitoes in the grinding room, spider webs, and the discovery of a "gutka" packet inside the bottling plant area were found in the Andaz hotel.
Among the major concerns were the improper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, pest activity, inadequate food handler hygiene, poor sanitation and improper food storage practices.
Expired food, including 87 kgs of sweets, cake bases and bread packets, were also recovered during the inspection.