The Punjab government has decided to make it mandatory for all online food aggregators to ensure that food supplied by them should compulsorily have hygiene rating as per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.

Key Highlights :

• Reason: The online food order and door to door delivery mechanism of food supply has created a physical disconnect between consumers and the food maker. Therefore, the onus of ensuring quality of food and that conditions under which food is prepared are hygienic has shifted to the intermediate food delivery mechanism.
• About: Keeping this in mind, Punjab government has issued a direction to all online aggregators that all the online order and supply companies should display hygiene rating of all food business operators registered or affiliated with them.
• Measures: Punjab’s Food and Drug Administration has sensitized companies operational in Punjab including Zomato, Swiggy, Uber Eats and Food Panda on the issue and also directed them to get the hygiene rating done of all the food business operators (FBO’s) registered with them.
• Condition: The terms put forward includes that only those FBO’s who are at higher level of hygiene rating (bearing 3 or more smilies), should be allowed to supply food under the online food orders-delivery mechanism.

About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India :

• It is an autonomous body established in 2011 under the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health via regulations and supervisions of food safety.
• It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson who is appointed by Central Government.