When you eat outside it is really important that what you eat is safely and hygienically prepared. Clearly, you cannot go around and inspect the kitchen of every restaurant you visit to check for their hygiene levels. Not to worry, there is a really easy way to find out. Check for the FSSAI Hygiene Rating for the restaurant. If they don’t have one then ask the manager to get one.
In our earlier article, “Eating out/Ordering Food? You might want to double check on its safety and hygiene”, we had shared the findings from our inspections that we conducted at over 100 restaurants, and food businesses were clearly found lacking. The FSSAI Hygiene Rating captures all of this data and gives you a single rating which factors the various requirements to ensure safe and hygienic food. This makes it really easy for you to make an assessment.
What is FSSAI Hygiene rating?
Food safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced a voluntary scheme of FSSAI Hygiene Rating under the Eat Right India with an intention of ensuring everyone would make an informed choice while eating outside and encourage FBO’s to improve their safe and hygiene practices while making and delivering food.
What does it mean to have an FSSAI hygiene rating?
The FSSAI Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is recognized across India. It provides a single benchmark to rate all fresh food businesses. Food businesses receive a 1-to-5 star rating based on compliance with the requirements. They can display this rating at their premises to show consumers how much they care. All types of food outlets can participate, including restaurants, quick-service restaurants, hotels, catering services, cafeterias, dabhas, bakeries, sweet shops, and meat retailers.
What does a good FSSAI Hygiene Rating score mean?
It means that the FBO follows the basic hygiene and sanitary standards according to Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as per schedule 4 of Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011.
They have at least 1 certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) for every 25 food handlers however as per the FSSAI’s FoSTaC program.
The finished products from those respective food outlets are tested every year by NABL accredited labs notified by FSSAI. This step is only applicable to the licensed FBO’s.
They educate their staff and customers through ‘Food Safety Display Board’ within their premises advising on how to safely handle food.
The outlet has been audited based on the FSSAI checklist by a FSSAI partnered audit agency. The rating is generated based on its compliance and is certified.
The food outlets may then display their FSSAI license and certificates prominently on their premises thus, helping the customers recognize that it is a safe place to eat .
What it means for the Consumers?
Any food outlet with a rating above 3 smilies/ stars, means it is a ‘Good Rating’. A consumer can check for the hygiene rating to their regular food outlet before their next visit.
According to the Eat Right India Portal, only 1,860 food businesses are enrolled in the FSSAI Hygiene Rating. This is tiny compared to the number of eateries in India. Bangalore alone has over 25,000 food outlets. There is a long way to go.
Change starts with understanding the importance of this rating and encouraging food outlets to care. Making it mandatory is one option, but voluntary compliance often works better. Outlets that undergo hygiene audits and maintain safe practices can become role models for others.
In a tropical country like India, fresh food can easily get contaminated if not handled properly and scientifically. So any slack on this front is really a public health issue, which costs the country dearly. Lack of awareness in the FBOs and consumers on basic food safety, hygiene and sanitary practices leads to consumption of unsafe food which can harm you. So next time you are eating out ask your self “Am I eating safe food, how do I know?”