FSSAI notice to Andaz Delhi after 87 kg of expired sweets found during inspection

New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday said that it has issued a notice to five-star hotel Andaz Delhi in Aerocity after an inspection uncovered multiple food safety and hygiene violations, including nearly 87 kg of expired sweets.

During the inspection, food safety officials found expired sweets along with an expired cake base and packets of bread. The expired sweets were discarded on the spot, according to the food safety regulator.

“The FSSAI has issued notices to Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd (Andaz, Aerocity, Delhi) and JW Marriott, Delhi following inspections that uncovered serious food safety violations. Regulatory samples were collected, with further action to follow based on compliance and sample analysis,” it said.

The inspection also revealed concerns over the handling of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian cutting boards were found immersed together in the same water container, while vegetarian burners in the room-dining kitchen were being used to prepare non-vegetarian food.

Officials further found active cockroaches near freezers, along with houseflies, mosquitoes, and spider webs on the premises. The inspection report also flagged poor sanitation, inadequate hygiene among food handlers, improper food storage, and insufficient temperature monitoring of food items.

The authorities also detected duplicate date-marking on expired bread packaging and found that supplier verification procedures were inadequate.

Andaz Delhi, operated by Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd, has been directed to take immediate corrective measures and submit a compliance report along with supporting evidence. The FSSAI said further regulatory action would depend on the hotel’s compliance and the results of sample analysis.

The action against the hotel comes amid intensified enforcement by the FSSAI against food businesses over food safety, misleading claims and labelling violations. Last week, the regulator said it had issued more than 150 notices to food and beverage companies in recent months for misleading advertisements, false claims and violations related to labelling.

The FSSAI also said that more than 30 notices had been issued to food-service establishments, including KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Costa Coffee. The regulator added that five Domino’s licences had been suspended as part of its enforcement action.

–IANS

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