Now Modi government wants to fix food portions served in restaurants
NEW DELHI: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suggestion over food wastage in his Mann Ki Baat programme last month, the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry is considering options to fix the amount of food served at hotels and restaurants.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the government is working on a questionnaire for hotels and restaurants to explain what quantity of dishes they should serve to a customer.
"If a person can eat only two prawns, why should he or she be served six? If a person eats two idlis, why serve four! It's wastage of food and also money people pay for something that they don't eat," Hindustan Times quoted Ram Vilas Paswan, minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
"We are calling a meeting (of stakeholders). The PM is concerned about food wastage and we are going to issue instructions to these hotels," Paswan said.
He, however, clarified that the guidelines would apply to "standard hotels" and not dhabas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised concerns over wastage of food in his Mann ki Baat programme last month . He had said food wastage at social gatherings is injustice to the poor.
Update:
As per PTI , Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the hospitality industry would be asked whether it can do it "voluntarily" or or needed the government to make legal provisions for it.
Paswan said the government does not want to fix the quantum of food that needs to be served by hotels and restaurants.
"We are just asking them to specify how many chapatis or idlis or chicken pieces you will serve (in a plate)," he was quoted by PTI.
Asked whether the government wanted to introduce uniformity in the amount of food served in a portion, he reportedly said, "We just want them to specify and mention (in the menu card) that how much they would serve in a portion."
In plate system, a hotel or restaurant normally does not specify how much food they serve, like the number of chapatis or the amount of rice.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the government is working on a questionnaire for hotels and restaurants to explain what quantity of dishes they should serve to a customer.
"If a person can eat only two prawns, why should he or she be served six? If a person eats two idlis, why serve four! It's wastage of food and also money people pay for something that they don't eat," Hindustan Times quoted Ram Vilas Paswan, minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
"We are calling a meeting (of stakeholders). The PM is concerned about food wastage and we are going to issue instructions to these hotels," Paswan said.
He, however, clarified that the guidelines would apply to "standard hotels" and not dhabas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised concerns over wastage of food in his Mann ki Baat programme last month . He had said food wastage at social gatherings is injustice to the poor.
Update:
As per PTI , Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the hospitality industry would be asked whether it can do it "voluntarily" or or needed the government to make legal provisions for it.
Paswan said the government does not want to fix the quantum of food that needs to be served by hotels and restaurants.
"We are just asking them to specify how many chapatis or idlis or chicken pieces you will serve (in a plate)," he was quoted by PTI.
Asked whether the government wanted to introduce uniformity in the amount of food served in a portion, he reportedly said, "We just want them to specify and mention (in the menu card) that how much they would serve in a portion."
In plate system, a hotel or restaurant normally does not specify how much food they serve, like the number of chapatis or the amount of rice.
