Veg vs non-veg: FDA rules call for segregation while preparation, cooking and storage; clueless eateries stack them one above other

A recent consumer court ruling has once again brought to the fore deep concerns over a vegetarian allegedly receiving a non-vegetarian food item.

- GNS News Agency, June 18

The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Mumbai dismissed a complaint from a couple who sought compensation regarding the delivery of chicken momos. The couple claimed they had ordered the vegetarian version of the snack, but the Commission noted that if they were “strictly vegetarian,” they should not have ordered food from a restaurant that also served non-vegetarian meals. While questions have resurfaced about food safety regulations in India, particularly those governing the segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, a closer look into the rules mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and their implementation and awareness among the restaurants and food vendors, reveals a huge gap.Consider this: Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, framed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, outlines the general hygienic and sanitary practices for food business operators in India. It states that street food vendors and other non-manufacturing food units must strictly segregate vegetarian and non-vegetarian items. Specifically, the regulations state, “The preparation, processing, and cooking of vegetarian and non-vegetarian products should be segregated.”To further prevent cross-contamination, the rules mandate the use of a “separate fridge for raw meat/poultry” and require that staff be trained in proper food handling, with clear instructions to avoid cross-contamination. By contrast, when The Indian Express checked the fridge of a roadside eatery in Nariman Point, which serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, it was found that chicken was stored in a bowl placed on top of another bowl containing pre-prepared vegetables. When asked abou