UP Government Orders Display Of Ownership Details At Food Outlets Following Contamination Incidents

Lucknow: Following recent incidents of spitting and mixing urine in food items, the Uttar Pradesh government has introduced strict measures to ensure hygiene and transparency in food outlets.  These measures include prominently displaying the names and addresses of food outlet operators, owners, and managers to ensure accountability in such incidents. 

In a meeting on Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered that all restaurants, hotels, and dhabas in Uttar Pradesh must also install CCTV cameras, news reports said. 

The order also asks chefs and waiters to mandatorily wear masks and gloves while handling food to ensure public health and prevent food contamination.  

“The state must run an intensive verification campaign to ensure that all food establishments are in compliance with the new rules, and this action should be carried out swiftly by a joint team from the Food Safety and Drug Administration, local administration, and police,” CM Adityanath added.

The UP CM also condemned recent cases of food adulteration, describing them as “disgusting” and warning that strict penalties would be imposed on those responsible for contaminating food with human waste or other unhygienic substances. 

“These incidents are horrifying and pose serious risks to public health. They are completely unacceptable,” he said.

The latest incident took place on September 12 in Saharanpur, where a video emerged showing a teenager spitting on rotis while preparing them at a local eatery. The video went viral, resulting in the arrest of the restaurant owner. 

Just days before, a juice vendor in Ghaziabad was arrested for allegedly mixing urine into the fruit juice served to customers. In June, two men in Noida were also arrested for selling juice tainted with spit.