When we talk about food, numerous questions pop-up in our minds. How fresh are the ingredients, how was it cooked, was the surrounding in which it was prepared clean or not, what was the hygiene level of the person who prepared it and so on.
We Indians are obsessed with food! Be it eating out in a gaudy restaurant, hogging down street food or cooking some sumptuous dish at home, we do it all and love it all. The recent metamorphosis of the food industry and coming up of cloud kitchens have pumped up our love for food even further by providing us with countless options and cuisines. The change in the lifestyle of the Indian middle class is evident not only by their disposable incomes but also by how their eating habits have evolved. Today, people eat out more frequently than ever before because it is convenient, tasty, cheap, and promoted on large scales. This consumer behaviour gives rise to a lot of food safety and hygiene-related issues.
Pandemic or no pandemic, kitchens should follow some basic rules and regulations to ensure food safety and avoid health hazards. If not Covid-19, there are many more, highly fatal diseases that are communicable by eating bad food! And this concern doesn't just end here. With havoc created by Covid-19 in our lives, we have become more sceptical of eating outside food. People are concerned about delivery executives' health as well because they are being exposed to multiple people daily.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Food Safety is defined as an "assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use." Food Safety also ensures that the food is handled, prepared and stored in ways that prevent borne illnesses.
Some of you may wonder why we are getting into the technicality of all this, and does it really matter? Yes, it does! Let's get to know why.
Food Safety prevents microbes and contaminants from getting into food and water. These microbes and contaminants are not only harmful to us, but they also destroy essential nutrients present in the food. Infections caused due to the consumption of unsafe food are reported in people with fragile health, kids and infants. These infections are usually more severe and sometimes prove to be fatal. Now that we have understood how dangerous consuming unsafe food can be, let's have a quick informative session on how to warrant food safety in kitchens and restaurants.
Getting a FSSAI License
The first and the foremost thing any kitchen needs to do before being operational is obtaining a FSSAI license. Food Standard and Safety Authority of India is responsible for regulating food safety in the country. You must have seen a FSSAI logo on many of the packed products you consume; this means that it is FSSAI verified and is safe to eat. You must have heard the quote "health is wealth", which is precisely what this license aims for. Obtaining this license means that the food is 100% safe to consume without any health consequences. Having this license also makes the brand more trustworthy and creates positive brand image. If any food-related business fails to obtain the FSSAI license, then the liabilities can go up to imprisonment and heavy fines.
This is the authority in India that lays down rules that every commercial kitchen needs to follow to ensure food safety. Recently, FSSAI launched a new cloud-based food safety online compliance platform called Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS). This system gives out guidelines that should be followed at a cloud kitchen or a food business premise.
We all know the basic principals such as maintaining personal hygiene, sanitizing the surfaces at regular intervals, washing hands frequently, regular temperature checks of all the staff and riders, but now I will list some of the lesser-known guidelines as listed by FSSAI.
The above mentioned are only a few of the guidelines that FSSAI have laid to maintain food safety. For complete information on this, feel free to access the various links I have attached below.
Well, I hope this information is ample for you to understand what food safety is and why it is so stressed by FSSAI. Food is considered to be a delicate subject as it has the power to affect the health of the consumer directly, and if neglected, food contamination has far-reaching repercussions. Food safety is a shared responsibility among the governing bodies, industry, producers and consumers. As a food business owner, it is our responsibility to make sure that the food we serve is safe in all ways for the consumer and the environment.
Links for Reference on Food Safety
https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/RCD_Draft_Catering_01_11_2017.pdf
https://archive.fssai.gov.in/home/safe-food-practices/FOOD-SAFETY-AND-HYGIENE-REQUIREMENTS.html
https://archive.fssai.gov.in/home/safe-food-practices/E-BOOKLETS.html
They say you are what you eat, and we say we are bagelicious!
Imagine holding a soft and chewy-crusty bagel filled with delicious filling inside. Has your mouth started to water? Cause mine already has.
This doughy bread is capable of giving you some wholesome breakfast experience, and why limit its superpowers to only breakfast? You can have a bagel anywhere and at any time of the day! This multi-functional food is perfect for on the go snacks or for full filling your untimely cravings.
Have you ever seen Suits, where Harvey Specter and Mike Ross have their conversations around the bagel cart or OC where bagels are preferred over cereals every day? Well, there is no doubt that Americans are crazy about their bagels and frankly we don't blame them. Dating back to at least six centuries and being described as " an unsweetened doughnut with rigor mortis" by the New York Times in the 1960s, this bread is a perfect example of "old but gold".
Across the world, bagels are preferred by kids and adults equally. And why not? There have been so much variety of bagels and flavours available in the market that bagel and cream cheese have become an old wives tale, not that we still don't love them!
Many times this superfood has been blamed for being too high on carbs but let me tell you one thing, bagels can be a part of a healthy diet too! Shocking? Not really, with the food industry on the rapid growth, there have been countless experiments and demands for various types of bagels. If stuffed with the right fillings such as avocado, eggs, tofu, spinach and gazillion of other things, these can provide you with an enormous amount of energy which would be perfect to kick-start your day or night or evening.
Bagels are rich in carbohydrate, an essential macronutrient for your body and can be a mix of fibre and protein as well if eaten the right way. This magical combination can be more filling and have more staying power to get you through the day.
So, what are you waiting for, grab your share of bagel now and remember, every bagel is a good bagel.