Vadodara : The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) along with its western region counterpart, Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) inaugurated their first Food Testing Laboratory at Vadodara, Gujarat, today. Launched on a non-commercial basis, the lab will not only follow global standards of food safety and hygiene, but will also conduct the tests at forty to fifty percent lower costs than its commercial counterparts. With this, HRAWI has become the first hospitality industry association in the country to establish its own food testing laboratory.

Speaking at the launch of the laboratory Mr. D S Advani, President, HRAWI said, “With the introduction of Food Safety and Standards Act it has become mandatory for food business operators (FBOs) to test their food products. The number of labs that currently exist are grossly insufficient and will not be able to cope with the sheer volume of service seekers. Our lab will benefit thousands of FBOs from bakery federations, catering associations, food retail traders and mithaiwala associations, among others.”

The HRAWI owned lab is fully equipped with national and international standard equipments. Managed by a team of qualified and experienced technologists, it would have proficiency to test almost all the Indian culinary samples.  In addition, unlike other labs, the HRAWI lab will send technologists personally to collect food samples from the hoteliers and other FBOs. Such samplings would reflect the truth without ambiguity.

“Another important feature of the lab is that the services will be offered at 40-50% discounted rates compared to existing market rates. It is our objective to encourage FBOs and our members to follow international standards of hygiene,” says Mr. Nirav Gandhi, Chairman, Gujarat Region, HRAWI. “The FSSAI Act mandates self declaration from FBOs for food items.  To do that, scientific testing on microbiological and chemical parameters would become a must.”

Along with the setting up of the lab, HRAWI would also make provision for training and education of hoteliers. The training programme will help hoteliers put up systems and procedures in place to make them independent in maintaining food safety norms.

“The training will include setting up of a documented system on cutting, handling and preservation of food and other raw materials. Proper information and training will be provided on temperatures in which different types of food need to be preserved along with other defined parameters. The system will take into consideration factors like hygiene station, receiving raw material station, pre production, post production, serving station and set up standard operating procedures for each of them. Food handlers habit changes from one hotel to other.  This new arrangement will provide one of a kind service that will help hoteliers maintain standardized practices,” says Mr. Kamlesh Barot, immediate past-President, HRAWI.

Only upon maintaining a system for six to twelve months will the hotels be accorded certifications. Other aspects of the training programme will include providing guidance to hoteliers on adherence to FSSAI laws. It will explain complex procedures in simple implementable formats. The training will be provided at the hotel property and will be tailor made for each property with ISO 22000 and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) Certification norm.

FHRAI’s knowledge partner Parikshan will undertake tests and risk analysis at the newly instituted lab. Parikshan runs an NABL audited lab in Chennai and will bring its vast experience to the Vadodara lab.  Nobody would be allowed inside the lab except for the technologist/food analyst.

“Since inception HRAWI has been working towards achieving international standards of Food Safety among its members. It has been one of our key objectives to establish internally a compliance framework that is transparent, yet flexible and one that maintains the highest standards of hygiene. The setting up of the new lab will bring us a step closer to achieving this objective,” concludes Mr. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President, HRAWI.

Source : Lokesh Shastri