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Food safety workshop for canteens focusses on hygiene, self-regulation
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Tuesday, 06 December, 2011, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Akshay Kalbag, Mumbai
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A food safety workshop for corporate canteens was organised by Equinox Laboratories at Hotel Renaissance, Mumbai, on Friday.
The dominant topics at the event were hygiene – both at the personal level and at the workspace – and self-regulation.
What prompted a panel discussion on these key issues was the recent spate of food poisoning cases that was witnessed at a premier educational institution in the city, which was the subject of considerable media attention.
In his welcome address, Debjeet Banerjee, branch manager, Equinox Laboratories, touched upon how India was perceived by foreigners, highlighting both sides of the coin instead of speaking only on the positive aspects.
The inaugural speech was supposed to be delivered by Mahesh Zagade, commissioner, Food and Drug Administration for the state of Maharashtra, but he could not make it to the event.
Dr V G Chapke, the seniormost speaker and a key member of Team Equinox, spoke about the Food Safety & Standards Act, which came into being on August 5, 2011, and reminded those who were in the food business that they would have to complete their licensing or registration by the same date the next year.
His session, which was beginning to turn into an interactive session because of the legal nature of the content, basically focussed on four sub-topics – enforcement, penalties, licensing and registration and corporate responsibility in relation to food safety.
The post-tea session saw the hotelier take the dais. Vineet Manocha, a known name in planning menus and other aspects of the actual process of food production in the hospitality industry, was the speaker.
Manocha spoke at length on a topic that everyone was aware of but few actually follow –basic kitchen hygiene. An interesting point he kept raising, “The kitchen should not be visually appealing but also clean from the point of view of sanitation.”
Ashwin Bhadri, director, Equinox Labs, whose age belies his professional title, was the next speaker. Like Banerjee, he also conducted two sessions.
His first session revolved around the food safety management system (FSMS), hygiene management for corporate canteens (which was quite an eye-opener) and basic cost-effective steps in hygiene, which are mandatory for food-handlers to adhere to.
His second session focussed on the training of facility managers for ensuring food safety. This involved the selection of the right vendor, ensuring good hygiene practices at the vendor’s kitchen and ensuring good hygiene practices at corporate hygiene, which, as he pointed out, was pretty tough.
Banerjee spoke on either side of the lunch break. The highlights of his pre-lunch session were the challenges faced by all those who were trying to ensure food safety. The award presented to those who comply with every food safety norm is called the Hygiene Shield.
Post-lunch, he touched upon the best global practices to ensure food safety in corporate canteens before proceeding to present several case studies to highlight the points he was making.
After a short break for tea, the floor was thrown open to those who wished to ask the industry professionals questions on the topics covered. This round-table interactive session revolved around ensuring hygiene and food safety.
To sum it up, whether a food vendor provides a dustbin outside his joint or avoids using a sheet of newspaper to wrap his food, there is just one universal truth in the business of food: hygiene is the new buzzword.
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