Cockroaches, 87kg expired sweets: FSSAI slaps notices on Delhi’s JW Marriott, Andaz over hygiene lapses

NEW DELHI: Food regulator FSSAI has issued notices to five-star hotels JW Marriott and Andaz at Delhi’s Aerocity over serious food safety and hygiene violations, including active cockroaches near freezers, expired food, poor sanitation and improper storage practices, officials said on Wednesday.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it issued a notice to Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd, which operates the Andaz hotel at Aerocity, after an inspection uncovered "serious food safety violations".A separate notice was issued to JW Marriott, a unit of Aria Hotels and Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd, over "serious food safety violations and non-compliance with FSSAI requirements."The regulator said food samples had been collected from both establishments and further action would depend on laboratory reports.87kg expired sweets, cockroaches found at AndazDuring the inspection at Andaz, FSSAI said several serious food safety and hygiene deficiencies were detected, including improper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, pest activity, poor sanitation, inadequate food-handler hygiene and improper food storage.Officials found expired food products, including around 87 kg of expired sweets, an expired cake base and bread packets.Other deficiencies included inadequate temperature monitoring, improper allergen segregation, poor waste management, structural and maintenance issues and inadequate supplier verification and receiving practices.The inspection team also collected regulatory and surveillance samples of cow ghee, veg mayonnaise, creamy coconut milk powder, honey twigs, yellow masoor dal, tomato sauce, orange marmalade and coconut cookies for laboratory analysis.FSSAI said inspectors found active cockroaches near freezers, houseflies, mosquitoes in the grinding room and spider webs. A 'gutka' packet was also found inside the bottling plant area.Inspectors also detected duplicate date-marking on expired bread packaging, along with severe unpleasant odours.The regulator said chillers were situated directly between two bathrooms, with exhaust venting into the chiller section.FSSAI has directed the hotel company to take immediate corrective action on the violations and submit a compliance report at the earliest, along with supporting evidence.Food safety inspections across DelhiThe latest action follows inspections at two major hotels in Aerocity that had earlier revealed a range of hygiene and food-safety issues, including cockroaches, flies, foul smell, expired food and deficiencies in the segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items.At one of the hotels, inspectors found deficiencies in food segregation and recorded complaints regarding cockroaches, flies and foul smell."Deficiencies were found in the segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in the kitchen. Complaints regarding cockroaches, flies and foul smell were recorded," said sources."Some bread packets bearing expired stickers were also found. Around 87 kg of expired sweets were found in the confectionery area and were destroyed on the spot. In the pastry section, expired cake bases, flies and cockroaches were found," they added.At another Aerocity hotel, an inspection that continued for around two days recorded 59 deficiencies."The inspection continued for around two days, during which 59 deficiencies were recorded," said sources.Officials also found that some food products did not have the required FSSAI licences or endorsements. Irregularities were detected in the labelling of packaged food products.Mouldy apples and rotten tomatoes were found, while several food items were stored in the open. Deficiencies were also noted in vegetarian and non-vegetarian food storage.Cockroaches and broken containers were found in the bakery section, sources said.FSSAI enforcement driveThe inspections are part of a wider enforcement drive by FSSAI against food business operators and e-commerce platforms over food safety violations, misleading claims, labelling and advertisements.In a separate case earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra suspended the FSSAI licence of a prominent establishment at Kranti Chowk in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar with immediate effect.The action followed a surprise inspection under the "Safe Food Safe Maharashtra" campaign, which uncovered serious hygiene violations and public health concerns.Inspectors found chopped paneer with a foul smell stored in the kitchen for cooking without any validity or use-by date.Spoiled paneer poses a serious risk of rapid microbial growth because of its high moisture and protein content, officials said.(With agency inputs)You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.