Kolkata food safety drive: What it means for city’s hospitality economy before Durga Puja

With Durga Puja and Ganesh Chaturthi fast approaching, Kolkata's hospitality sector is bracing for a significant regulatory overhaul. In a comprehensive week-long sweep between September 1 and 7, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), in collaboration with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), scrutinized over 592 food outlets, restaurants, and confectioneries throughout the city.

The rigorous examination resulted in the issuance of suspension notices to approximately 54 establishments, encompassing celebrated sweet shops and heritage restaurants like Roots near Exide crossing, Golden Dragon on Park Street, Chung Wah in Chandni Chowk, and New Aliah Hotel on Bentinck Street.

As word of the crackdown circulated, merchants hastily embarked on painting and cleaning their premises to meet the regulatory standards. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, a license suspension is a temporary regulatory measure rather than a permanent shutdown.

It compels businesses to cease operations under a specific license while adhering to a structured pathway to rectify deviations. To ensure proper compliance, KMC Administrator and Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey sent a list of suspended outlets to Police Commissioner Ajay Nand, enabling law enforcement to prevent reopened establishments from operating without official clearance.

The reasons cited for the suspension notices are varied and multifaceted. Non-compliance with displaying FSSAI licenses or Food Safety Display Boards (FSDB), failure to submit yearly or half-yearly chemical and bacteriological water analysis reports, absence of mandatory FoSTaC training certificates for food handlers, and breaches in personal hygiene among staff all contributed to the regulatory action.

Additional citations include poor maintenance of facilities, improper waste disposal practices, operational deficiencies in cooling equipment, lack of regular pest control records, and failure to segregate raw, cooked, and vegetarian/non-vegetarian food items. Other infractions included unauthorized synthetic food coloring, preparation of food outside designated premises, uncovered cooked food, inadequate raw and cooked item separation, and inadequate purchase records from approved vendors.

Moreover, the absence of FSSAI numbers on invoices, absence of used cooking oil disposal records, and uncovered windows lacking insect-proof nets further escalated the regulatory scrutiny.

Civic authorities are adamant that this drive is a timely intervention aimed at bolstering hygiene, storage practices, and vendor management before the peak festive season. KMC Administrator Pandey clarified that the suspensions are not permanent closures and that businesses will have two weeks to rectify shortcomings and resume operations post-correction.

The municipal body remains committed to continuing the drive before Durga Puja as well. Business owners, however, are grappling with the timing of this regulatory blitz. The lead-up to Durga Puja is traditionally one of the busiest periods for revenue generation in the hospitality sector, and many shopkeepers feel the timing is ill-timed, exacerbating existing frustrations.

Abhijeet Ghosh from The New Poshee Sweets near Dhapa voiced the industry's discontent, stating that while shopkeepers are rushing to gather necessary documentation, the limited timeframe for rectification is causing considerable stress. Sudesh Poddar, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India, acknowledged the temporary impact on businesses but emphasized the necessity of the regulatory measures, asserting that the long-term implications are negligible as rectified establishments will swiftly resume operations.