Videos and social media posts, complaining about the food served on the Internet often on the Internet, inspiring the reactions of IRCTC and Indian Railways. It often makes public discussions about the quality of food given to passengers. Recently, Indian Railways has said that passengers have access to the full menu and rates of food served on trains. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav talked about this in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. He explained, “All the menu along with the menu of all the foods are available on the IRCTC website for the information of the passengers. All details are made available with the printed menu card waiter and the demands are presented to the passengers.” He said, “The rate list is also displayed in pantry cars. Further, SMS has been introduced to passengers with links of tariffs, menu and tariffs of catering services on Indian Railways and on Indian Railways.
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In addition to concerns about menu and rates, questions were raised about increasing hygiene and increasing the overall quality of food served on trains. In response, Ashwini Vaishnav revealed many measures and procedures, which aim to address these issues. He cited the installation of CCTV cameras in the base kitchen, according to PTI reports, to supply food from the designated Aadhaar kitchen, modern base kitchen commissions at identified places and better monitoring of food preparations.
Vaishnav also mentioned other measures. For example, he said that branded materials are being used for food preparation, including items such as cooking oils, flour, rice, pulses, dairy products, etc., in addition, dedicated supervisors have been deployed in the base kitchen whether food safety and hygiene practices are being followed. The trains also have IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) observer, who can directly monitor catering services. In addition, the Railways has introduced QR codes on food packets, which will contribute to further transparency. The code contains details like kitchen name, packaging date, etc.
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“Third-party audit pantry cars and base kitchens are performed to check the hygiene and quality of food. Customer satisfaction surveys are also conducted,” said Ashwini Vaishnav. With these initiatives, the Railways has made regular deep cleaning and periodic pest control in Aadhaar kitchen and pantry cars. Compulsory FSSAI certification has been implemented for specific personnel to implement food safety standards. Food safety and quality are further ensured through regular food samples and inspections by authorized officers.
