Significant Update

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has fined a catering firm Rs 1 lakh and issued a show-cause notice proposing termination of its licence after a passenger found a fly in a meal served on board the Ahmedabad–Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express on Tuesday.

The passenger had ordered a combo lunch during the journey. After finding a fly in the vegetarian biryani, he also complained about the poor quality of the food. The train captain and the onboard catering manager immediately attended to him. The catering staff apologised for the inconvenience and offered a replacement meal, but the passenger declined.

IRCTC takes action against the catering firm

IRCTC said that Araha Hospitality Pvt Ltd had supplied the meals from its licensed base kitchen in Surat. Although IRCTC inspected the base kitchen on June 15 and carried out a scheduled deep cleaning on June 18, it identified lapses in meal preparation and packaging. As a result, the corporation warned the company and directed it to take immediate corrective measures to prevent similar incidents.

IRCTC Strengthens Food Safety Measures

IRCTC instructed the catering firm to procure fresh raw materials with adequate shelf life and verify the quality of all ingredients before use. It also directed the firm to regularly inspect the air-tightness and condition of storage containers used for rice, pulses, flour, spices and other food items to prevent contamination.

The corporation further asked the company to strengthen quality control, hygiene and packaging practices throughout food preparation and handling. It also directed the firm to implement preventive measures to stop foreign objects from entering food and ensure compliance with prescribed food safety standards.

Railways serve 16 lakh Meals Daily

According to Railway Ministry officials, Indian Railways serves an average of 16 lakh meals every day across its network. The ministry said it continues to introduce measures to improve food quality, hygiene and overall catering services for passengers.

Source: Deccan Herald