How hygienic are India’s restaurants? A recent survey found that only 32 per cent of consumers rate the hygiene and food safety standards of air-conditioned restaurants in their area or city as “good” or “excellent.”
The survey, conducted by LocalCircles and released on Monday, found that 42 per cent of consumers rated the standards as average, while 9 per cent rated them poor or very poor.
The survey received over 91,000 responses from consumers who frequent air-conditioned restaurants across 244 districts in India. Of the respondents, 64 per cent were men and 36 per cent were women. Nearly half (47 per cent) were from Tier-1 districts, while 33 per cent were from Tier-2 districts and 20 per cent from Tier-3 and Tier-4 districts.
The findings come amid a recent crackdown on restaurant hygiene in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month suspended the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licences of the Cricket Club of India (CCI), Willingdon Sports Club, MIG Cricket Club, RK Juhu Gymkhana and Aparna Juhu Gymkhana after surprise inspections found cockroach and fly infestations, expired food stock, rotten vegetables, poor sanitation, clogged drains, stagnant water and unhygienic food storage.
Of the 32 per cent of consumers who rated the food safety standards positively, 28 per cent rated them as “good”, while only 4 per cent rated them as “excellent.”
What have consumers observed at restaurants?
The survey found that 57 per cent of consumers had seen dirty dining areas, kitchens or washrooms, while 53 per cent had observed staff handling food unhygienically and an equal 53 per cent had seen reuse of cooking oil.
Another 50 per cent of respondents said they saw food heated or served in plastic containers that may not be food-grade or microwave-safe, while 45 per cent had seen cockroaches, rats, flies or other pests, and an equal 45 per cent reported poor separation of vegetarian and nonvegetarian food during preparation, cooking or serving. Furthermore, 40 per cent of consumers had come across food that appeared stale or repeatedly reheated, the LocalCircles report stated.
“In effect, over 9 in 10 consumers surveyed reported at least one hygiene or food safety violation observed first-hand in the last 12 months, and every one of the seven violations listed was reported by at least 4 in 10 consumers — a pattern that closely mirrors what FDA inspectors have been documenting during the ongoing drive in Maharashtra,” the report added.
Concerns about dirty kitchen, dining areas or washrooms
When asked which food safety practices concerned them the most, 79 per cent of respondents cited “dirty kitchens, dining areas or washrooms.”
Meanwhile, 74 per cent of respondents said their top concern was the “reuse of stale or leftover food”, while 72 per cent cited the “reuse of cooking oil”.
The use of expired or improperly stored ingredients was cited by 63 per cent of respondents, while cockroaches, rats or other pests and poor personal hygiene of staff were each cited by 61 per cent.
Additionally, 60 per cent of respondents were concerned about heating food in unsafe plastic containers, while 47 per cent cited the mixing of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
Consumers seek more transparency
The survey also asked consumers what measures they wanted the FSSAI and State Food Safety Departments to make mandatory for all air-conditioned restaurants. Of the 21,904 consumers who responded, 74 per cent said they wanted the public display of hygiene ratings at restaurants and on food delivery apps.
This was followed by quarterly hygiene inspections, supported by 72 per cent of respondents, and higher penalties for repeat offenders, backed by 71 per cent. Another 69 per cent of respondents wanted a ban on heating food in non-food-grade or non-microwave-safe plastic containers, while 68 per cent sought public disclosure of restaurants violating food safety norms. Meanwhile, 66 per cent wanted immediate suspension of licences for serious hygiene violations.
 "Only 32% find restaurant hygiene good; dirty kitchens top concern: Survey")
