Food quality dept to rate eateries along highways

KATHMANDU, Nov 24: In the absence of proper rating of eateries, people making a stopover at restaurants and hotels along the highways have been forced to eat unhealthy and unhygienic food.



Food Technology and Quality Control Department (FTQCD) has announced that it has already commenced works to rate the quality and hygiene standard of eateries along the major highways.[break]



“In fact, we have already concluded inspections of eateries located in Mungling, the major eating junction along the Prithvi Highway, and issued “quality standard” stickers to them,” said Jeevan Prabha Lama, director general of FTQCD.



Based on those stickers, which are fixed at the entrance of the hotels and restaurants, Lama said consumers can now easily ascertain the quality of foods served. She told Republica that the department is continuing the drive and would soon be rate all the eateries along the major highways.



After Mungling, the department is preparing to soon inspect and issue quality rating stickers to hotels in Malekhu and Ram Nagar, two major eateries hub located along the Prithvi Highway and Mungling-Narayanghat highway section respectively.



In Mungling, where the department concluded inspections three weeks ago, FTQCD had inspected and issued quality rating stickers to 48 restaurants and hotels. Of them, three restaurants got a green sticker, which indicate they serve quality and hygienic foods.



Forty eateries received yellow colored sticker with a red dot in the center, meaning they are not as good as those receiving green sticker. Five others have received yellow sticker with two red dots, which indicate these eateries should not be preferred, if possible.



The department also has a red sticker, which indicates the eatery should be completely avoided. Eateries getting such rating will face actions from the department as well. However, in Mungling none of the eateries inspected were that bad, said officials.



“We will follow the same model for rating the restaurants in other areas as well,” said Lama.



FTQCD officials said the standards for rating were set after holding consultations with concerned stakeholders. The department has received support from hoteliers and restaurateurs for carrying out the drive.



The department had developed an action plan to rate the hotels serving large number of people in places like highways, where people can barely exercise their rights to choose, about a year ago. It commenced its implementation from the eateries based on the highways mainly as a larger number of travelers have been complaining them of charging unfairly higher rates and serving substandard foods.



“In the highways also, we have targeted to complete ratings in hubs where majority of passenger vehicles halt for the meal and snacks,” said Lama.



The department had taken initiatives to rate the eateries after a series of joint inspections conducted by the FTQCD and Department of Commerce found a majority of eateries and shops on the highways of selling substandard packed foods, serving stale and unhygienic foods, and grossly ignoring basic hygiene even while compelling travelers to pay more.

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