Hygiene rating for eateries, new norms for safe food

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government will introduce hygiene rating for restaurants in the wake of increasing food poisoning incidents, among various other measures on licensing and registration.
Health and family welfare minister Veena George on Thursday gave various instructions to eateries. She said the government would soon come up with a mobile application to rate restaurants on the basis of hygiene. People will be able to rate restaurants and eateries on the application while there will be provision for uploading photos and videos too. Restaurants maintaining high standards can also be promoted through the application, she said.
The distribution of mayonnaise, a creamy sauce served with dishes like shawarma, prepared with raw eggs has been prohibited in the state. Only those prepared with vegetable contents or pasteurised egg will be permitted hereafter, Veena said.
It will be made mandatory to affix the time of preparation on food parcel packets distributed from restaurants and hotels, and the sticker should also contain the time within which the food product should be consumed. Every organisation dealing with cooked food should have a health supervisor, while a health card will be mandatory for those preparing and distributing food.
These guidelines were finalised by the government after holding discussions with organisations functioning in the food sector. A joint meeting of health and local self-government ministers was also held to ensure support of local bodies in maintenance of food safety and hygiene, wherein departments have decided to work in a coordinated manner.
The local bodies will ensure that all hotels and restaurants coming under its purview have valid licenses. A unified platform of these two departments will be considered for licensing of restaurants and eateries.