The drive against adulterated and stale food served in eateries in Cochin may soon bring in changes in the design of hotels as the district administration in association with the health department is mooting a proposal to shift the kitchen to the front side of hotels to make their functioning transparent.
In case hoteliers object to the proposal, it will be made mandatory to install closed circuit television sets in hotels to show customers what is happening in the kitchen.
The proposal is to be discussed at a meeting of hoteliers to be convened by the district collector soon as per a report in TOI.
"Our aim is to ensure hygiene and quality of food served in hotels. We will discuss methods to bring in transparency in functioning of hotels and restaurants," said district collector P I Sheik Pareeth. The health department is giving finishing touches to the proposal to be submitted before hoteliers.
"Hotels which do not have star ratings will be classified and the lowest in the category will be tea shops. We will ask only hotels in the top categories to shift their kitchens," said P N Sreenivasan, district health officer, Ernakulam.
"Since tea shops function in a single or double room, it will not be practical for them to have the kitchen in the front. So, the proposal will not be applicable to them," he said. In the first phase, the project will be implemented in 50 hotels.
"Later it will be extended to all hotels," said Sreenivasan. Besides shifting kitchens, hotels will also be asked to provide boiled and clean drinking water and ensure hygienic toilets for men and women.
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