Cockroaches, bugs in food: Railways admits serious lapses in catering

[Naina_Marbus]

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New Delhi: In a shocking revelation about the pathetic condition of catering services in Indian Railways, ……a railways report … exposes how food is prepared in filthy conditions. The report says that the food served in trains is cooked in dirty,smelly and waterlogged pantry cars.

This stands true even for premier express trains. The report says that cockroaches were all around the GT Express pantry car. In the Shramjivi Express, the water used for washing coaches was also used for cooking and in the Bihar Sampark Kranti, samosas were found kept in a dirty basket along with mops.

For many travelling on trains, the quality of foodleaves much to be desired. But now the railway board's own inspection reportshows just how sub-standard it really is.
….
The food that is served ….on trains is cooked in pantry cars that are dirty, smelly and waterlogged. And the washing area is dirty andunhygienic. That's how Railways' own inspection report talks about the pantrycars.

This is just one part of a series of inspections carried out by railway board on various trains in February, 2013.

In an inspection of GT Express in Southern Railways, the railway board found the pantry car's exhaust and light fixtures blackened and full of oily cobwebs. Although pest control was done just a week before, cockroaches were evident all around.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cockroaches-bugs-in-food-railways-admits-serious-lapses-in-catering/384864-3.html

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Dear prof N_M,

You have forgotten the impossible vegetable biriyani

with a dead rat tightly packed in that box!!! :shocked:

Since when rats are considered as vegetable in India???

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Eaters beware of the cheaters.:heh:

Don't buy diseases and disasters!! :yuck:

It is better to go :hungry:

than to become

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

I have always registered with disgust
the food trays stacked just outside the toilet rooms
on the dirty watery floor covered with
contaminated water from inside the toilet. :scared:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

The only time we purchased food on the train was when
I and my sister both thought that the other person will bring food for the journey.
As it happened neither of us had brought food.
We bought Dosa which were apparently coated with sand.
All of us fell sick seriously - especially my two young sons- EVEN without eating the dosas!!!

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Sir, PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE. Safe is 'Kattu sadam'. For travel in long distance trains better to observe 'Upavasam'. More safe!! What is the existing arrangement of Railways when a passenger falls sick during the journey after consuming such polluted/contaminated/adulterated, etc food? Do we have to take medicine too along with the baggage? But FOR heaven's sake don't take food offered by strangers!!

OM SHANTHI, SHANTHI, SHANTHI

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

We can take medicines in a first aid kit.
What if we need to use the bathroom often?
Will it be available ?
Will there be water??
Will not this spread to the others in the compartment??
The safe bets are bread/ chapathi/ fruits/ snacks that do not spoil.

 

[Raji Ram]

No comments!! :tape2:

Think before drinking tea while travelling by Indian Railway - IRCTC

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Thank God! Drinking tea is not my cup of tea :tea:

 

[Raji Ram]

Thank God! Drinking tea is not my cup of tea :tea:

Beware Sir! Coffee might have a similar story too! :fear:

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Mam, When it comes coffee, I don't compromise and insist for Filter coffee (preferably double strong) which will be not normally available in IRCTC or in Railway Platforms/Stations,etc. They all market instant coffee towards which I am allergic.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Now I understand WHY our ancestors made

cooking both specific and difficult!

Short cut methods and jagaj jaalam :juggle:

will not be possible then!

 

[Raji Ram]

Our ancestors had ideas to take food from home for their long journeys.

One of our friends will never buy cooked food. He used to mange his diet with bananas and

biscuits and of course 'saththu mAvu' prepared at home! :hungry:

Most of us know the 'saththu mAvu' packed by our grannies for their trip to Kasi !

 

[Raji Ram]

Ingredients of Saththu maavu:

 

[nageshmahadevan]

The catering services in Indian Railways is allocated to different vendors in different trains. While some vendors maintain hygiene, cleanliness and neatness, others don't. Indian Railways ought to open a forum where such lapses can be represented, addressed and redressals found. Indian Railways must either penalize such erring vendors or cancel their contract.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Ingredients of Saththu maavu:

Mouth watering ingredients!
Nutritious mixture!!
But how do they eat this dry flour???

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Westeners have their own energy giving mixture called trail mix.

So colorful and tempting mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Trail mix is a combination of dried fruit, grains, nuts, and sometimes chocolate, developed as a snack food to be taken along on outdoor hikes.

Trail mix is considered an ideal snack food for hikes, because it is tasty, lightweight, easy to store, and nutritious, providing a quick boost from the carbohydrates in the dried fruit and/or granola, and sustained energy from fats in nuts.

Courtesy Wikipedia

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Is there any surprise check organised by Railways, like flying squad or special team to ensure that the quality of stuff is maintained and prepared under hygienic conditions? Attitude of catering contractors making hay at the cost of travelling public's good health is not in good taste.

 

[Naina_Marbus]

Beware Sir! Coffee might have a similar story too! :fear:

Any experience or stories with the hot milk sold on trains?

 

[Naina_Marbus]

Is there any surprise check organised by Railways, like flying squad or special team to ensure that the quality of stuff is maintained and prepared under hygienic conditions? Attitude of catering contractors making hay at the cost of travelling public's good health is not in good taste.

Surprise checks? Flying squad or special team? Even with an army of such people to check ticket-less travel, you cannot stop ticketless travellers!

Same will be true for checking quality of catered foods served on trains. More important, who will and how to screen the inspectors themselves to demonstrate their genuine awareness of what constitutes hygiene under Indian conditions?

Solution? Take your own food, sacrifice craving for coffee or tea!

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Sir, I agree. Implementing such measures will ensure atleast improvement in the standard to some extent. There are certainly ways and means! The staff can be trained and there are labs to test the quality of food. Railways can themselves establish thereown Institutions on these subjects which will be very economy. I hope the pantry car staff are borne by the Railways in most of the trains. Introducing new trains, Metro, Mono, etc alone are not considered progress, there should be overall progress covering all services and facilities which includes, better catering too.

As for as my food is concerned, I strictly adhere to the instructions of my dietitian which governs my intake and keeps me fit and healthy. Good day

 

[Raji Ram]

Those who have a brave heart can view this page!

Dead cockroaches are 'jujubi' compared to this!!

Food with unexpected animal extras

 

[Raji Ram]

Westeners have their own energy giving mixture called trail mix.

So colorful and tempting mmmmmmmmmmmm!! ......

But sweet blooded people have to be careful if chocolates are added!

And, I found more than necessary salt in the pack which came from West Virginia!

Why follow the west? Why not our saththu mAvu? If jaggery is permitted in diet, try this:

Sathu maavu urundai (Multi grain laddu)

Or we can just mix with some water and eat it.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

I did not view the page since
I may not have a heart as brave as needed to view it.
What if sugar and jaggery are also :nono: ??
How long with the laaadu stay fresh?
Will it be hard like the poruL viLangaa uruNdai???
Need we carry a nut cracker or pounder along???
Questions are riddling my mind!

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Those who have a brave heart can view this page!

Dead cockroaches are 'jujubi' compared to this!!

Food with unexpected animal extras

Cockroaches DO look like jujubi in fact!