Govt may soon fix food portions in restaurants, hotels

This would enable consumers to take an informed decision and stop wastage

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said he will soon ask big hotel chains and restaurants to specify portions in menus.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi in one of his radio addresses had stressed on the need to check wastage of food. It is in this context that I directed the consumer affairs department to instruct big hotel chains and restaurants to mention the exact amount of portions,” Paswan told Business Standard, adding he would soon hold a meeting with restaurants and urge them to specify the portions. Small dhabas and eateries won’t be covered, he said.

The minister said the government does not fix the quantum of food to be served by hotels and restaurants. "We are just asking them to specify how many chapattis or idlis or chicken pieces you will serve (in a plate). This idea has come out of my personal experience. When we go out to eat, we see a lot of food being wasted. There are people in our country who do not get food."

The latest directive from the department comes months after the Centre instructed the states to stop hotels from taking service charge from consumers without displaying a notice about it prominently in their menus and entrances. “We are duty-bound to protect the interest of consumers anywhere they have to pay,” Paswan said. 

“We have issued instructions and now it is up to the consumer affairs ministries in each state to take follow-up action as they are the ones who are authorised to take action,” Paswan said.

ON THE TABLE

* Food minister to meet restaurants, hotels to urge them to specify portions

* Move to stop food wastage 

* Small dhabas and eateries not to be covered 

* Centre had earlier ordered hotels display service charge prominently