Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A total of 21 restaurants including Usmania Restaurant and China Town are reportedly preparing food items in their kitchens that have an unhygienic environment, violating the food safety laws.

Following complaints, the food department carried raids inside the capital.

According to information, reputed restaurants in the country’s capital were found accused violating safety codes of food laws during inspection visits of the food department in the last days.

It was not just the kitchen environment which was unclean, but the uniforms and personal hygiene of waiters and chefs as well as dirty crockery were the highlights of these restaurants.

An official of the food department said while talking exclusively to Daily Times that “we made various raids on reputed restaurants where mostly the high class of the capital as well foreigners from different embassies visit but their situation is appalling. We have fined them according laws and issued strict warning notices for maintaining their environment inside their hotels.

He added that we will make more surprise visits in future to these restaurants and if they are involved in violation of these laws, then we will seal them,” he said. According to information, Usmania Restaurant in Blue Area remains the most unsatisfactory. Kabul Restaurant, Mr Chips and Khiva Restaurant were also under scrutiny for poor unhygienic environment.

Two reputed Chines restaurants Kin Mun and Jade (China Town) were also warned and fined for not maintaining clean environment inside their restaurants.

Ali Baba Foods and Karachi night restaurants in G-11 Markaz, Bismillah Tikka Karahi, Foody Moody, Mughlai Courtyard, Sufi Shinwari and Butt Karrahi were also fined and warned on poor hygienic environment in their kitchens.

Al-Fatah situated inside the Centaurus Mall was also fined for not mentioning expiry dates on their products and their samples sent to laboratory for examination.

The information added that Melody Food Park, Student Cafe Chak Shahzad, Khyber-Bajaur restaurant and Burger Point were also fined as well with warning notices issued on poor hygienic environment.

The Food Department also fined 10 reputed meat shops in Islamabad for poor hygiene as well simple were taken for analysis and sent to laboratory.

An official of the food Department told that environment inside their kitchens were poor while rats, cockroaches and pests found inside most of the reputed restaurants kitchens as well the chef and helper condition were unhygienic.

A high official of the food department while talking exclusively to Daily Times said that unfortunately “we are facing lack of human resources the food inspector are less than the territory that’s why the condition of reputed restaurants inside Islamabad is poor”.

He added that we are forming a food regulatory authority for the first time in the history of Islamabad which will improve hygiene situation inside the city.

Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqat remained unavailable for comments.

Published in Daily Times, December 13^th 2018.