Chhattisgarh sweet shop issued notice following ‘hygiene issues’; Outlet shut down temporarily
A popular sweet shop in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district has come under scrutiny after a viral video showed utensils being washed inside a washroom, prompting an inspection by the Food Safety Department, according to sources.
The video, recorded by a customer from Delhi at New Delhi Sweets, showed a staff member washing utensils in a bathroom. The video quickly caught attention on social media and went viral, sparking concerns over hygiene practices at the establishment.
In the video, the customer questioned the employee about the practice, asking why the utensils were being washed inside a washroom. The employee responded that it was an emergency situation that had persisted for the past two to three days.
Later in the video, the customer is seen contradicting the explanation, asking whether anyone would wash utensils in the bathroom at home, further highlighting concerns over food safety and sanitation.
Following the video’s circulation across social media, food safety officials conducted an inspection at the outlet on Monday to assess the hygiene conditions and verify whether the circumstances depicted in the footage were true or false.
During the inspection, the restaurant representative reportedly told the officials that the utensils being washed in the video belonged to staff members. As per the outlet, the employees had eaten their meals and were cleaning a pressure cooker and other utensils used to heat food brought from the main branch.
The restaurant manager added that the staff meals were supplied from another branch and reheated before consumption. He claimed that the vessels were intended to be returned the following day and may have been washed at the outlet because of the disruption in the external water supply.
However, the management also provided another explanation, stating that the designated washing area was not properly organised and that the restaurant was being temporarily closed because of water-related issues.
Both versions of the explanations provided by the restaurant officials are being examined by the food safety officials.
Food Safety Officer Sanghesh Mishra said that the establishment had been instructed to improve its washing facility and comply with prescribed hygiene standards. Besides, a notice was also being issued over the deficiencies identified during the inspection.
Authorities said further legal action would be considered after a review of the findings.
Sources also disclosed the owner was temporarily asked to suspend operations until corrective measures were in place. Permission would be granted to reopen following an inspection confirming compliance with the food safety norms.