The Carlika Business (CCCI) has urged the Southern Railway to take immediate action on the food safety and hygiene standards of trains.
In a letter to South-South Railway General Manager RN Singh, on Saturday (May 17), Sirajudheen Ellathodi, member of the Zonal Railway Railway User Advisory Committee (ZRCC), and the CCCI secretary expressed shocking concerns about food safety and hygiene standards, especially in the Palakkkad and Thiriruvananthantapuramthapuramthapuram divisions.
He asked for immediate action to ensure that the Vande Bharat Express was provided with stale food and five other trains after seizing the stale food from the Kochi restaurant.
He also noted that the catering services in these trains failed to meet the basic standards of food safety, threatening the health and safety of passengers and the reputation of Indian railways.
Mr Ellathodi also proposed five important measures to ensure the safety of passengers, highlighting their importance to “maintaining the health and trust of millions of passengers who rely on the Indian Railways for safe travel.” In addition, it was suggested that a series of immediate actions be taken, including a detailed investigation of all existing catering services, especially in the departments of Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Other recommendations include blacklist agencies that violate safety standards and prohibit them from violating future railway contracts; deploying other food safety officials on large radio stations and onboard trains; conducting regular and surprise inspections on trains with passenger feedback mechanisms; and imposing strict penalties for food safety violations.
publishing – May 17, 2025 at 07:56 pm IST
