A serious debate has begun over the quality of food served by hotels and restaurants after a fish bone was found in the omelette eaten by Home Minister Sudhan Gurung at Lord's Hotel in Chitwan during the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh convention on Ashad 21.

On the same day that the Home Minister was served substandard food, the District Administration Office conducted a surprise inspection of the hotel and imposed a fine of Rs 300,000 after finding a complaint. This incident has not only raised questions about the food hygiene of hotels in urban areas, but has also increased pressure on government regulatory bodies to intensify daily monitoring.

A nationwide market monitoring conducted jointly by the Food Technology and Quality Control Department, Commerce Department, local administration and local levels throughout the month of Ashad has revealed extreme negligence and irregularities in hotels and food businesses from the federal capital Kathmandu to the highways.

In the monitoring details made public by the Food Technology Department, food inspectors have found cases of finding cockroaches and other insects in the kitchen, and in some cases, cases of adulteration of banned inedible chemical colors to make meat and sweets look attractive. In some cases, it has been found that the same oil has been used for months. Measuring the condition of oil used repeatedly seems fatal.

Food Technology and Quality Control Department spokesperson Dr. Balkumari Sharma told Kantipur that the department has found many serious shortcomings in various restaurants, water industries, oil mills and marts in recent days during the 'emergency rapid response modality and joint monitoring' based on complaints and grievances.

The department had monitored the Corner Point Restaurant and Bar on New Road on 19 Ashar. Expired fruit syrup was being used, a dead worm was found in the oil used to make pizza base, and food items were stored in a disorderly manner in the refrigerator.

After finding serious deficiencies in food safety, the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection imposed a fine of Rs 21,000 on the restaurant under the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS. Two bottles of squash without level details and not expired were destroyed. The operator was instructed to correct all the deficiencies within 3 days and appear before the department with evidence. During the monitoring, the Total Polar Material (TPM) of the oil being used there was measured at 22 percent, while the cleanliness condition was found to be only normal.

TPM is an indicator that measures the condition of oil that has been used repeatedly. As its quantity increases, the quality of oil deteriorates and the health of consumers is seriously affected, so the department had directed to improve the use of oil.

An inspection conducted at the Jire Khursani Durbar restaurant in Madhyapur Thimi on Asad 24 found inedible meat. After the laboratory test report confirmed the presence of harmful microorganisms (unsafe for human consumption) in the meat, about 14.2 kg of raw chicken meat, about 5 kg of raw tandoori meat, and about 18 kg of meat of unknown source stored in the refrigerator were found and stopped from being prepared. Jire Khursani Durbar was fined Rs 205,000 for committing an offense under the Consumer Protection Act.

Earlier, a team including the Prime Minister's Office had inspected the Kathmandu Airport on Baisakh 10. At that time, the Department of Commerce had fined four cafes and hotels Rs 300,000 each for charging consumers more than the maximum price. Sai Kiran Enterprises, San Enterprises, Oriental Hotels Pvt. Ltd. (Radisson Lounge) and Tithi Thakali were fined Rs 3 lakh for the same offence.

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control also conducted a surprise inspection of 5 markets on Tuesday. During the inspection at Thakali in Lainchaur, 5 bottles of rose water and 1 bottle of kewra water with expired expiry date were found in the storage room. The use of the refrigerator was found to be irregular. As a result, the expired food items were destroyed. Instructions were given to maintain food hygiene, make pest control more effective and keep the goods in the refrigerator systematically.

During the inspection of Bhagwati Cold Store in Thamel, it was found that food items were stored in an irregular manner and there was no proper arrangement for pest control. Similarly, food items without complete label details were found for sale and 6 units of rose water and 1 unit of blueberry syrup were found with expired expiration dates. As a measure of action, the expired food items were immediately destroyed.

During an inspection at Irani Tea operated in Mahalaxmisthan, Lalitpur, it was found that the garbage bin was kept open in the kitchen without covering it. Food items such as donuts and fruit syrup without complete label details were found. As a measure of action, the food items without complete label details have been asked to be returned. In addition, the shop has been strictly instructed to clean it regularly.

During a joint inspection of various restaurants and eateries in Kathmandu on 23 Ashar, a joint team of the Division Office of the Department and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City found improper use of artificial food colors, a cramped kitchen, unorganized storage in the refrigerator, and 3 units of 1 gram food colors with expired expiration dates at The Black Gold Restaurant on Durbar Marg. The monitoring team had issued strict instructions to immediately destroy expired food coloring and 1 piece of lemon salt weighing 200 grams and use only fully labeled products and to make kit control effective.

Similarly, during the inspection at Express Eats Pvt. Ltd. in Chandol on the same day, lack of cleanliness in the kitchen and exit, improper use of artificial coloring, and two pieces of expired chowmin weighing 700 grams were found. In particular, the team destroyed the expired chowmin and about 2 liters of bad oil that were against the standards, as the Total Polar Material (TPM) level of the oil used there was found to be highly harmful, i.e. 38 percent.

During the inspection of SG Nepal Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-14, it was found that the storage system was not organized. The label of the milk premix preparation produced by another branch of the industry should have mentioned 'skimmed milk powder' or 'whole milk powder', but it was found to be written incorrectly. During the painting work in the store, it was observed that food items were painted without removing them. For action and improvement, instructions were given to organize the storage system of the store, to mention only the actual composition on the packaging label, and to keep food items away from the store during painting or repair so as not to infect them. Two samples of Cerelac have been collected from Krishna Arpan Supplement and Beauty Store in Mhepi for laboratory testing.

Same outside Kathmandu

The fact that the food hygiene situation outside the Kathmandu Valley is equally serious has been confirmed by the market monitoring conducted on 23 Ashad under the leadership of the Food Technology and Quality Control Office, Janakpur. A joint team including Madhesh Province Minister Fakira Mahato inspected nine hotels and restaurants along the East-West Highway and found that artificial colors were used in cooked fish and meat at the Bouba Staff Line Hotel in Mithila, Dhanusha, the polar material content of the oil used in frying was found to be 50 percent higher than the standard, the kitchen and utensils were used in the same place, and the prepared meat was covered with printed paper.

The hotel has been fined Rs 25,000 under the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS and given fifteen days to rectify the situation by destroying three kg of fish and five kg of meat made using artificial colors and bad oil.

Trouble in water and oil industries too

The department has increased strict surveillance not only in restaurants but also in water and oil industries. On 17th Ashad, a surprise inspection was conducted at NS Group Industries Pvt. Ltd. in Tokha, which found that the cleanliness was not satisfactory, the tiles in the processing room were dilapidated, and the jars intended for sending to the market were broken, cracked, and crushed, so 44 bad jars filled with water were destroyed, the statement said.

The industry has been instructed to repair the tiles in the processing room within five days and appear at the department with evidence and collect samples for testing. On 19th Ashad, the processing and storage rooms at Adhikari Oil Mill in Basundhara were not separate, food and water were kept in the same place, and the labels were not disclosed, so one liter of unlabeled coconut oil and five kg of cashew, almond, and pumpkin seeds were returned to the supplier, and instructions have been given to separate the rooms.

On Ashad 22, the processing room at Royal Spring Mineral Water and Beverages Pvt. Ltd. in Chandragiri was found to be unorganized and old, broken jars were being used in the industry, so 7 old and broken jars were destroyed and water samples were sent for laboratory testing, the department said. After dal, flour and flour without label details were found at Rashmi and Rojan Dairy in Dhapakhel, the District Administration Office imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 as per the Provincial Trade and Business Act and milk samples have been collected for testing.

The department is mobilizing teams to ensure the food safety situation in the market. According to the department's spokesperson, Dr. Balkumari Sharma, two to three special teams are continuously monitoring the market daily. Market monitoring is also being carried out nationwide from eight offices in all seven provinces under the department and 22 division offices in various districts.

The Food Hygiene and Quality Act and the Consumer Protection Act have provided for stiff fines and imprisonment for the sale of substandard, contaminated or inedible food. There is also a legal provision under which consumers can claim compensation.

Senior restaurant entrepreneur and former president of the Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal (REBAN) Tejendranath Shrestha points out the need for comprehensive reforms in Nepal's food safety and restaurant regulatory system. He says that mandatory training should be provided before operating a restaurant and a specialized training center should be established for professional reforms. He says, 'Instead of using the same oil repeatedly, quality restaurants send the remaining oil to make soap, but in ordinary restaurants, there is an unhealthy practice of using the same oil many times.'

Although the main responsibility for market monitoring lies with the local level, he says that there is a lack of skilled manpower in the subject. He says that the fire brigade should have checked the fire control capacity in the restaurant's kitchen, the expiration date and label of food items should be checked at the customs point, and international food safety standards should be followed.

The Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene has made it clear that consumer awareness is the first door to health safety and has also given strict instructions to businessmen to fully comply with government standards. Senior Health Education Administrator and Information Officer of the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene Dr. Bhakta Bahadur KC said, 'The level of awareness among general consumers is gradually increasing. To make the market clean and decent, the consumers themselves must first be aware. In addition, businessmen and industrialists who sell and distribute food must also comply with the necessary standards set by the government. We are fully committed to addressing the complaints of citizens.'