Food safety

Currently there are many raids being performed by the food and drug administration (FDA) especially in Maharashtra. Each day when we open the newspapers, we see that a new restaurant had been raided and the license has been report.

Today I opened the news paper. The news read 'Hotel ABC was raided by the FDA. It was found that several food safety laws were broken. The raw material was stored near the drain. The restaurant had been using unfiltered, tap water for preparation of food. Raw material was stored in unhygienic conditions. The restaurant had failed to maintain hygienic conditions in the kitchen area. The licence of the restaurant has been revoked'. When I read the news I was in complete disbelief. I had a lump in my throat reading that the restaurant was operating in unhygienic conditions. My hands where shaking. I kept the newspaper aside and sat in silence.

The news had left a deeper impact on me because in my childhood it used to be my favourite restaurant. The restaurant had history of operating for over of 50 years and this restaurant would always be crowded. There always be along waiting line at this restaurant. It was not a luxurious restaurant but it served comfort food. Everything would be piping hot as if it had just been prepared seconds ago.

Visiting this restaurant was a ritual for me. Whenever I would be in that area I would definitely go to that restaurant. I would enjoy there samosa, fritters, south Indian dishes, sheera, and other savoury snacks. I would either sit at the restaurant and Dine in or would order a take out. Irrespective of where I would eat I had indulged on the food that was served by this restaurant.

I had been to this restaurant with my friends to celebrate our good grades, victories, achievements, or just a casual meet up. Me and my family would often go to this restaurant for a casual dining experience or whenever we wanted to enjoy a small treat. Restaurant was not just a dining place for us. It had become a sacred place and memory for us. I used to visit the restaurant so often that the entire staff new me very well. They knew which dishes were my favourite and would also suggest me to try their new menu. I had amazing experiences and memories of that restaurant.

But today as the news broke that the restaurant is not abiding by the law it is making me think about everything. I started thinking if this restaurant was always this unhygienic. Of course, being a customer I had never visited their kitchen to know how they have been operating. From the outside it definitely date look hygienic. We would see the staff wiping the tables and the floor frequently. However who knew how the condition was of the kitchen.

Now that FDA has a raided the place it has become absolutely clear that it is not a place where we should go and eat. The picture that had been taken inside the kitchen of the restaurant are making me gag. Looking at those pictures I am thinking if all these years I had been consuming the dirt that they had been serving in the restaurant.

Lesson learnt: I am no longer going to visit that restaurant and I am going to consume only homemade food from now on.