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

[Visalakshi Ramani]

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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.

We need an anniyan to tackle this. :boxing:

I guess we have quite a few in the forum! :decision:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

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

So you still drink only milk
while traveling
since it may be safer???

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

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!

Coffee toffee can replace the liquid coffee.
Is there a similar candy/ toffee to replace liquid tea???

 

[Naina_Marbus]

..... What if sugar and jaggery are also no no? How long with the laaadu stay fresh?

As long as the laaadu is made of bengal gram flour (கடலைமாவு), adding sugar and jaggery in very limited amounts ( not over sweet) will be okay even for diabetics.To be doubly sure, also take sundal (சுண்டல்) or a few roasted almond pieces or roasted channa dal (பொட்டுகடலை). This combination should normally keep blood sugar within allowable limits in spite of the added sugar or jaggery. If you check the world data-base of GI for various foods, laddu ( made of கடலைமாவு) is listed with low GI !
Laadu ought tostay fresh at least for a couple of days, if kept in sealed containers - even in Ziploc bags.

 

[Naina_Marbus]

Coffee toffee can replace the liquid coffee.
Is there a similar candy/ toffee to replace liquid tea???

Not that I know of!

 

[Raji Ram]

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

Dear Sis,

You missed this line which gives a solution for non sugar / jaggery eaters!

I guess the laddu will be soft if made with 'iLam pAgu'! Not tried so far though!!

 

[Raji Ram]

As long as the laaadu is made of bengal gram flour (கடலைமாவு), adding sugar and jaggery in very limited amounts ( not over sweet) will be okay even for diabetics.......

We are talking about 'saththu mAvu laddu', Sir!

 

[Naina_Marbus]

So you still drink only milk
while traveling
since it may be safer???

No, I was just wondering if any milk adulteration was detected.

 

[Naina_Marbus]

We are talking about 'saththu mAvu laddu', Sir!

Of course this is even better!

 

[renuka]

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???

Dear VR Ji,

Ratouille is a vegetarian dish!LOL

Wikipedia

Ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by pasta, rice or bread).Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), bell peppers, marjoram and basil, orbay leaf and thyme, or a mix of green herbs like herbes de Provence. There is much debate on how to make a traditional ratatouille. One method is to simply sauté all of the vegetables together. Some cooks, including Julia Child, insist on a layering approach, where the aubergine and the courgette are sautéed separately, while the tomatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers are made into a sauce. The ratatouille is then layered in a casserole – aubergine, courgette, tomato/pepper mixture – then baked in an oven.[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP] A third method, favored by Joël Robuchon, is similar to the previous; however, the ingredients are not baked in an oven but rather recombined in a large pot and simmered.[SUP][5][/SUP]

 

[renuka]

When I was a student in India travelling to Chennai used to take some 18 hours by train from Mangalore(cos at that time there was no direct flight from Msia to Blore..so we had to go the Chennai to take a flight to Msia).

So before leaving I will buy mineral water and pack my own food before coming to the train.

I never used to eat food served in the train.

I used to like Chennai when I used to be there for a couple of days...the auto guys are friendly and people too are friendly and nice.

 

[Raji Ram]

No, I was just wondering if any milk adulteration was detected.

Who knows? Even milk could be boiled with added azhukku water,

in the same dirty place, using an immersion heater!

 

[Brahmanyan]

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 food leaves much to be desired. But now the railway board's own inspection report shows 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.

Dear Sri "Naina Marbus",

Nothing surprising at all ! The overall hygiene in Railway compartments is pathetic. The the stink of human
excreta at the Railway Stations announce their presence while the trains enter. Railways are run on a mixed
management under Railway Board and the Railway Ministry. It is viewed as a profit generating commercial venture
by the Government, accountable to none, only interested in increasing the revenue. Except for brief periods under Minister (Late) Madhav Rao Sindia and (Late) Kengal Hanumanthayya, it has been run directionless with promises and promises on passenger Safety,Hygiene and amenities. Fifteen valuable years were wasted by the present Government in giving the Ministry to their allies who ran it as a vote bank venture. In recent years the Railway Carriages are infested again with bugs and cockroaches, due to poor maintenance. The Carriages are used continuously on the track without intervals for cleaning and fumigating.

During per-independence days it was common for people to go to Vegetarian Restaurants in Railway Stations run by private contractors for good food. When Restaurant cars were introduced during the early years of independence, the quality of food prepared in Base Kitchens and supplied in long distance trains were good. Now due to various factors, including reservations on the basis of Caste and Community, efficiency was give up in recruitment. The result is what we experience today. You will be surprised to find the restaurant cars in Rajdhani Express are run by contractors from North India, who have no idea about the taste of passengers from Southern Part of Vindhyas.

Main reason for the all round deterioration in Railways is lack of competition in running this monolith as a free commercial venture. It is a simple question of "Demand and Supply". Railways are not able to cater to the needs of the fast expanding demand. It should be freed from the clutches of the Government. On the other hand if the Government want to run under its Ministry let them take a lesson or two from China which has an efficient Rail system.

Let me end this with an advise from a TTR while travelling from Kottayam to Kochi on my return journey from
Sabarimala. It was raining heavily and water was dripping inside from the roof in the old compartment. The TTR came to check the tickets. I complained about the dripping of rain water inside the Compartment. His answer was " I think You are not from Kerala. Sami, we in Kerala always carry an umbrella ". Wise advise indeed.

Regards,

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[tbs]

hi
my maternal grand father had VRR contract with railways in my child hood days.....many my relatives run VRR canteens in and

around madras in olden days.... one of my friend's father was manager in base kitchen vijayawada,,,,so many brahmins

were survived by VRR Rly canteen in good olden days... the quality was good....honesty and hard work paid welll.....

now we know the story of so called modern rly catering services....many palakkad brahmins had VRR services....

i still remember the quality of thayir saadam/sambar sadham packet from VRR canteens in my childhood from

very famous OLAVAKODE JN IN PALAKKAD.....NOW IT IS CALLED PALAKKAD JUNCTION....

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

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.

My dear Raji,

It is a just a mixture, and the colorful M. Ms and chocolates can be easily avoided by people with sugar problem. You may even go for a mixture without the chocolates. since there will be many options.

It is not a travel food but a trail mix which people carry when they go on hiking, trecking climbing etc. They would sweat profusely. May BE the extra salt makes up for the loss of sodium through sweating.

Usually the westerners eat bland food and add salt and pepper as and when they need it. Surely they won't load the system with excess salt as we Indians tend to do through pickles, papads, vatral, vadaams and many other salty dishes.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

dear prof N_M,
Thank you for giving the green signal for eating a wee bit of chana flour laddu
- without feeling guilty next time it is offered to me!
As for chundal it has become the most certain dish of my menu now.
I am even considering to switch over to all chundal meager meal!!!:decision:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Dear Sis,

You missed this line which gives a solution for non sugar / jaggery eaters!

I guess the laddu will be soft if made with 'iLam pAgu'! Not tried so far though!!

I did not miss the line. In fact it had made me wonder whether we need to carry a nut cracker and /or a pounder along with the laadus!!!

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

No, I was just wondering if any milk adulteration was detected.

Milk and buttermilk have this unique property...
whatever goes into them merge inseparably!

 

[Raji Ram]

........... Usually the westerners eat bland food and add salt and pepper as and when they need it. Surely they won't load the system with excess salt as we Indians tend to do through pickles, papads, vatral, vadaams and many other salty dishes.

I know! Is it necessary to take pickles, papads and vadAms everyday?

The balanced South Indian food is seldom appreciated by our own people! :tsk:

P.S: It is said that 'manjaL podi' which is a regular ingredient in our food is a germ fighter and even guards

us from cancer! BUT, the West has to say this!! :blah:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Ref # 35 by Dr. Renu.

The specialist's final touch given by the super specialist rat!!!:thumb:

I would never forget that lovable rascal of a rat! :clap2:

 

[renuka]

I know! Is it necessary to take pickles, papads and vadAms everyday?

Dear RR ji,

I don't know why those who drink local brew alcohol say they need pickle when they drink but westerners do not take pickles or any sour stuff when they drink alcohol.

I wonder what is the rationale of taking pickle along with local brew alcohol?

Does it really enhance the taste?

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Who knows? Even milk could be boiled with added azhukku water,

in the same dirty place, using an immersion heater!

What is true about tea, will be true about milk!!! :fear:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

At least in the flight they still supply (hopefully hygienic )
steaming hot, balanced Asian vegetarian meal.

The quantity has reduced drastically in the past 15 years. But I do not blame them.
How else to shorten the queues being formed in front of the toilet rooms???

The food is JUST enough to keep the pangs of hunger away from us
and keep us away from forming a serpentine queues in front of the rest rooms.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

I know! Is it necessary to take pickles, papads and vadAms everyday?

The balanced South Indian food is seldom appreciated by our own people! :tsk:

P.S: It is said that 'manjaL podi' which is a regular ingredient in our food is a germ fighter and even guards

us from cancer! BUT, the West has to say this!! :blah:

We USE it - without fussing about it.
They FUSS about it - without using it.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Dear RR ji,

I don't know why those who drink local brew alcohol say they need pickle when they drink but westerners do not take pickles or any sour stuff when they drink alcohol.

I wonder what is the rationale of taking pickle along with local brew alcohol?

Does it really enhance the taste?

I was duly impressed by the cashew-nut packs available in a number of varieties. The popular side dish to go with the smooth liquid spirits!!!

May be the tongue must be made to taste the spicy pickles
to enable the country's kudimagan to down his
glass/ pot/ drum as the case may be!

I can't think of a more dangerous combination of the
country liquor + pickles playing havoc on an EMPTY stomach! :fear: