Online food joints to source food from eateries with hygiene rating: FDA

Chandigarh: The food and drug administration (FDA), Punjab has imposed an yearlong ban on online food supply aggregators (OFSAs) and food business operators (FBOs) from supplying food without hygiene rating. The move is aimed at ensuring that food without hygiene rating is not delivered to consumers.

The orders, which will come into effect from April 30, prohibit OFSAs from sourcing food from FBOs which have been given a rating of less than three out of five. Prohibition orders were issued under relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Before passing the order, FDA had issued notice to ONFSAs seeking objections.

The decision was taken after online aggregators showed reluctance in getting FBOs registered with them rated for hygiene despite repeated directions from authorities. There are about one lakh food outlets in the state, of which about 5,000 are registered with various online food delivery aggregator companies.

FDA commissioner K S Pannu said ONFSAs Zomato, Swiggy, Uber Eats and Food Panda have been supplying food to consumers after sourcing it from food business operators. Pannu said it is important to ensure that these aggregators supply only good quality and hygienic food to consumers.

According to Pannu, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced hygiene rating for food business operators and has also empanelled agencies to conduct the ratings.

In May 2019, Punjab advised all aggregators to ensure that they source food from FBOs which got hygiene rating of their business done. When there was no response, the deadline for getting the hygiene rating done was extended till October 31, Pannu informed.

“It was observed that even after creating awareness on the importance of hygiene rating, OFSAs were not taking the matter seriously, resulting in consumers facing the potential of delivery of unsafe/unhygienic food,” he explained.