QR codes on food packets, surprise inspections: What's being done to improve quality of food served on Rajdhani trains

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained the initiatives being taken by Indian Railways to improve quality of food served in Rajdhani trains.

Major initiatives undertaken to improve the quality of food being served to the passengers of trains including Rajdhani trains are as under:

-Upgradation of Base Kitchen/Kitchen Units undertaken.

-Installation of CCTV Cameras in Base Kitchens /Kitchen Units for real time monitoring of food preparation at source.

-Deployment of on board Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) supervisors in Rajdhani trains.

-QR codes have been introduced on food packets enabling display of details like name of kitchen, date of packaging, expiry date, weight, etc.

-Third party audit is done to examine hygiene and cleanliness in pantry cars and kitchen units. Customer satisfaction survey is also conducted.

-To ensure compliance of FSSAI guidelines, certification from Designated Food Safety Officers of each catering unit has been made mandatory.

-Food Safety Supervisors have been deployed at Kitchen Units to monitor food safety and hygienic practices.

-Regular and surprise inspections are conducted by Railway/ IRCTC officials including Food Safety Officers.

-In addition to the above steps, there is a robust system in place for passenger feedback and complaints redressal through Rail Madad, Twitter handle @ IR CATERING, CPGRAMS, E-Mail and SMS.

Food samples are being collected regularly as a part of inspection and monitoring mechanism to ensure that quality of meals being supplied on trains is up to the mark. During the last three years and till date, 787 samples were collected by Railways/IRCTC, said Vaishnaw in his reply to a question.

During the last three years and till October 31, 2022, a total of 6,361 complaints were received for catering services in Rajdhani trains. Suitable action including imposition of fines, Discipline and Appeal Rules (D&AR) action etc. was taken in each and every case.