KFC outlet fined Rs 5,000 for ‘lack of cleanliness in kitchen’

Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) and the state food safety department, in a joint operation on Saturday, conducted a raid on an outlet of fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) situated at Rajpur Road and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for “poor cleanliness in the kitchen and premises.” The food safety department has also collected food samples from the outlet which have been sent to a drug testing laboratory in Rudrapur.

Speaking to TOI, municipal health officer Dr. RK Singh said that the raid was undertaken under the leadership of Ramesh Singh, food safety inspector, Dehradun. “The outlet was picked up on a random basis for inspection as part of a routine drive to ensure that cleanliness standards are being followed by eateries in the city. However, we found that the outlet wasn’t disposing food waste properly for which we imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on them,” he said.

Further course of action against the outlet will be determined on the basis of the sample test results, which are expected to come within two weeks, the official added.

“The outlet’s staff alleged that they get non-vegetarian food items delivered from New Delhi but failed to produce the pay receipts and the licence required for the same,” Dr Singh said.

When queried about the matter, an employee of the outlet who requested not to be identified denied that there were any cleanliness issues. “It was just a miscommunication that happened. The issue was actually pertaining to the garbage disposal slip that is filled by the DMC’s garbage pick-up workers. Also, we will produce the documents related to the procurement of non-vegetarian food items on Monday. Some of the pay slips were not in our direct possession when the raid took place,” he said.

A spokesperson from KFC also sent an email response to TOI on the issue. “KFC holds the highest respect for the laws of the land, and complies with all government norms and regulations. We have been notified of the incident and are looking into the matter. Customers are welcome to walk into our restaurants across India, and ask for a kitchen tour, to see for themselves the stringent quality and hygiene standards that we follow.”

Last week, the food safety department had also filed a case against three prominent bakeries in the city in the additional district magistrate court as the food samples collected from the bakeries were found to be substandard.

Source:-https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/food-services/kfc-outlet-fined-rs-5000-for-lack-of-cleanliness-in-kitchen/70238126