#food safety auditing lab in mumbai

[rahulblogs09]

Ensuring Quality and Safety: Leading Food and Water Testing Labs in Mumbai

In today’s world, food and water safety are paramount. Whether it’s ensuring compliance with regulatory standards or safeguarding public health, reliable testing facilities play a critical role. RCA Labs, a premier testing facility in Mumbai, stands out with its exceptional services in food safety auditing and water testing, combining decades of expertise with cutting-edge technology.

Food Safety Auditing: Raising Standards in the Industry

The food industry is subject to stringent quality standards and safety regulations, making food safety auditing an indispensable process. RCA Labs offers a comprehensive food safety auditing lab in Mumbai, designed to help businesses meet international benchmarks such as FSSAI and HACCP standards.

At RCA Labs, the food safety auditing process covers every aspect, from raw material assessment to final product inspection. By identifying potential risks in the supply chain, these audits help prevent contamination, ensure compliance with food safety laws, and enhance consumer trust.

The laboratory’s specialized team conducts thorough evaluations, including microbiological testing, residue analysis, and allergen detection, ensuring that the food products meet the highest safety standards. This attention to detail ensures compliance and contributes to improving the overall quality of food products in the market.

Comprehensive Water Testing Services

Water quality is a cornerstone of public health, and regular testing is essential to ensure it meets safety standards. RCA Labs’ water testing lab in Mumbai is a trusted partner for industries and individuals seeking reliable testing and analysis.

Their water testing department employs advanced analytical techniques to evaluate various water parameters, including chemical, microbiological, and physical properties. The laboratory ensures that water used in food production, industrial processes, and daily consumption is free from harmful contaminants.

The services offered by RCA Labs include:

Drinking Water Testing: Ensuring compliance with BIS and WHO standards for potable water.

Wastewater Analysis: Testing effluents for regulatory compliance to prevent environmental hazards.

Industrial Water Testing: Evaluating water quality for use in manufacturing processes to ensure efficiency and safety.

The team at RCA Labs uses sophisticated equipment to detect impurities such as heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial contaminants. Their robust testing processes ensure accurate and timely reporting, making them the go-to laboratory for water safety concerns in Mumbai.

Why Choose RCA Labs?

RCA Labs has built a reputation for precision, reliability, and quick turnaround times. With ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation and a dedicated team of experts, the lab ensures high-quality testing and analysis services tailored to client needs.

The food safety auditing lab in Mumbai at RCA Labs is well-equipped to address the complexities of modern food safety challenges, while their water testing lab in Mumbai provides critical insights for maintaining water quality. Together, these services contribute to protecting public health and fostering trust in the food and water supply chain.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a food manufacturer, a water utility company, or an individual concerned about safety, RCA Labs offers unmatched expertise and state-of-the-art testing solutions. By choosing RCA Labs, you not only ensure compliance with safety regulations but also contribute to the betterment of public health and the environment.

Visit RCA Labs Food Safety Auditing or Water Testing Department to explore their comprehensive range of services.

[sultan8879]

Food Testing Laboratory in Mumbai - FSSAI & NABL Certified.Food testing in Mumbai, food testing lab in Mumbai, food testing labs near me, shelf life testing in Mumbai, best food testing in Mumbai, food auditing labs in Mumbai, food quality testing in Mumbai.

[darshit1234-blog]

A COVID-Safety Checklist for budding MSMEs amidst the pandemic - Food Testing, FSSAI Compliance & Hygiene Ratings in Mumbai

With the onset of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, the food business industry saw many ups & downs. Amidst the sudden full-stop for many big brand names, a bunch of local Micro, Small & Medium Food Enterprises saw a steep rise in demand as well as support from the government. It also seems the unlock and the post-COVID India will further guarantee the steady rise of such enterprises. So here is a checklist to help MSMEs help mark themselves COVID-Safe & Compliant to the various standards of India’s Food Industry. From FSSAI License to Food testing in Mumbai, we’ve got everything covered.

FSSAI Registration

The registration and licensing of food businesses in India are governed by its apex food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. FSSAI Registration is a basic license and it is required for all the FBO involved in the small-scale food business. 

You can apply for FSSAI registration by submitting a Form A to the Food and Safety Department.

In case your food business has an annual turnover exceeding 12 lakhs you should consider applying for an FSSAI License too.

Food Testing in Mumbai

Food Testing involves a bunch of tests that determine the quality & standards of one’s food product and help the manufacturers to comply with FSSAI standards & better their product.

Nutritional Labelling

Under the regulations of the Indian nutritional labeling act, it has now become a mandatory aspect of every processed food product's packaging. Nutritional labels help in finding out all the essential attributes to be mentioned on packaged food products.

Shelf Life Testing

An essential step before launching or modification of any food/beverage product. Shelf-life is determined using two different types of tests; accelerated & normal, and helps manufacturers define ‘best before’ & ‘use by’ dates for consumers.

Sensory Evaluation

Sensory Analysis helps manufacturers and marketers in the decision-making process by precisely evaluating a consumer’s food or beverage based on the senses like sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing, and feelings. Experts at Equinox can help you understand how the Sensory Evaluation process works and how the analysis can help improve your products' customer experience.

To know more about these tests and how they help improve your product, achieve complete COVID Safety & FSSAI Compliance, you can visit the Food Safety in Mumbai website.

Hygiene Auditing

Hygiene Audits form a crucial point in the Food Safety Management System (FSMS) of any FBO identifying the level of compliance with FSSAI basic food safety and hygiene standards. They ensure; an extensive inspection of your food processing facility, Identify any possible loopholes in the company’s FSMS, help establish an absolute Food Safety Management System, reduce the risk of manufacturing substandard products & promote a healthy brand reputation.

Food Safety Training

Being one of the most essential services, the food industry has to take special precautions to stay safe from the Coronavirus. The regulator, in order to ensure the same, introduced a mandatory ‘Awareness Training’ under its FoSTaC program. The training covers vital topics including; Understanding Corona Virus & COVID-19: Symptoms, Spread, Responsibilities of Food Business Operators (FBO), Preventive Measures to be taken by FBOs of different Food Sector, & other important precautions as suggested by the Government

COVID-Safety Audits

Many Food & Hygiene auditing companies have introduced COVID safety audits to help food businesses put into place and test COVID safety measures & standards. India’s Largest Auditing Company, Equinox Labs, has introduced a special COVID Safety Audit that defines the various COVID safety measures and audits the processes to certify your facility as COVID-prepared. There are also many other initiatives like Safe Place to Eat, Hygiene Quotient, Hygiene Rating, etc. that can help in not just ensuring but also a certifying COVID-safety.

Once you are done ticking off the above requirements, your MSME would be not just FSSAI Compliant but also COVID-Safe. Find out more about these processes and help ease navigation through these processes, visit Food Testing in Mumbai. 

The current situations have proven that local MSMEs have a large number of opportunities coming up promising growths in unpredictable ways. It would be wise not to leave any stone unturned or measures ignored that could hamper the growth process.

Best of Luck!

[supervidyavinay]

BENGALURU: Dine-in customers at eateries are scarce even after they have reopened following a nationwide lockdown, although takeaways and deliveries are picking up pace, restaurant chains told ET. Customer footfalls are at about 5-8% of the levels seen before the pandemic but are likely to go up in the next few weeks, they said. “So far the footfalls have been slow...early curfew coupled with no alcohol service has been a deterrent,” said AD Singh, managing director of Olive Group of Restaurants, which runs 15 brands across six cities, including Olive Bar & Kitchen, SodaBottleOpenerwala, Toast & Tonic and The Fatty Bao.Industry lobby group, National Restaurant Association of India, is also separately reaching out to states, urging them to permit serving of alcohol and compress curfew timings.Sagar Daryani, cofounder of Wow! Momo, said people movement in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai has been minimal, while Bengaluru, Calcutta, Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar are cautiously opening up.“The fear psychosis still prevails among people when it comes to eating out or sitting in groups,” he said. Wow! Momos is operational in 120 of 345 outlets across cities. McDonald’s India has also opened up dine-in services in over 100 stores across 25 cities in the West and South. Other chains such as Pizza Hut and Cafe Coffee Day are also open for business. The next four months are expected to be tough for the sector, but businesses expect footfalls to touch 12-15% in the coming weeks.Technology-led transformationRestaurants that have opened up look different now. Technology and safety protocols are at the heart of operations, superseding ambience. They are also sanitizing all prepared food boxes under UV disinfectant before dispatch, adopting contactless dining and payment solutions as well as third-party hygiene audits to instil confidence among diners.“Under our WeAssure program) we have re-engineered our guest experiences with zero or minimal associate engagement, including digital ordering, contactless billing, and sanitized crockery, cutlery, tableware, separators, and re-modelled hotel layout to support safe distancing,” said Zubin Songadwala, Area Manager South, ITC Hotels. Others such as Marriott International and Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts are also working to standardize operating procedures to ensure safety of guests.Fast-food chains like Pizza Hut and Mc Donald’s, and others such as Smokehouse Deli, Slay Coffee and Cafe Coffee Day are also adopting technology solutions to lower consumer touchpoints. More than half a dozen companies, including Zomato, Dineout, Paytm, Dotpe, V-Tab and GoKhana are enabling the transition by offering low-cost contactless dining and payment solutions, while others like Hygiene Quotient and Equinox Labs are providing audits. Implementing these protocols may not, however, be financially viable for some small businesses. "Once a restaurant decides to open up, several processes need to be set, including re-modelling interiors, pest controls, relooking all plant and machinery, working around new hygiene norms set by the government, ordering new raw materials, getting workforce together...," said Anurag Katriar, president of NRAI.“Finding the working capital for these processes may not be viable for all.”More chains expected to openSeveral restaurants including ITC Hotel’s Royal Afghan, and Impresario’s Smokehouse Deli are set to open up over the course of the week, as businesses approach relaunches in a phased manner. "We are gradually opening up…and our team has doubled down on giving people a superlative and safe experience," said Jaydeep Mukherjee, Brand Head, Smoke House Deli.Diners in Bengaluru told ET that they would step out only to celebrate occasions, to buy essentials, or conduct business meetings and will continue to avoid other social gatherings for a few weeks. from Economic Times https://ift.tt/30BbYXY

[ezra0204]

Hotel room and kitchen hygiene essentials you should know about

Industry experts and market leaders share their expertise on best hygiene practices within hotel rooms and kitchens for a superlative guest experience

 A clean and hygienic hotel can turn an average stay experience for a guest into a luxurious one. While lavish and well-appointed amenities and a cosy bed is what a guest may look forward to during their stay, cleanliness and sanitation still ranks top on their priority list.

Clean and ambient rooms can help hotels to double their ROIs whereas unclean rooms, unhygienic food handling and poor facilities can impact customer loyalty. Not only are guest less likely to return, there is also a real possibility of a disease outbreak. Thus, it becomes essential to constantly monitor hygiene practices adopted by hotels, especially in the key revenue-driving segments, i.e. rooms and kitchens, owing to their high operational and commercial value.

Market leaders and industry experts share their insight on the practices that have a major impact on a hotel’s hygiene standards.

Waste management

Managing the waste effectively plays a crucial role in maintaining a hotel’s hygiene as well as in saving costs. “The solid waste at Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty is segregated in three bins, which are colour coded. Green bins are used for biodegradable waste, whereas blue is used to collect paper and plastic and red is used for glass bottles and tins," says Grand Hyatt, Kochi Bolgatty's hygiene manager Shalini Jain.

“Segregation starts from the kitchen and when the bins are hal-full, theyare carried to the garbage area and put in the chiller to prevent bacterial growth. The biodegradable waste is collected by the vendor for cattle feed. Besides, used oil is also collected from the kitchen and given to the soap industries on a monthly basis.

Waste water is used in the STP plant, for watering the plant in the garden  and in the cooling tower.”  At Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi  Okhla, the wet and dry garbage are segregated separately. “The wet garbage (waste of vegetables etc) is used in biogas plants, whereas the dry garbage is collected at the garbage room and then handed over to an authorised outside vendor," says its room division manager, Payal Mehta.

The waste generated at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia is used in the generation of compost of around 100kg every day as well as in the hotel’s organic vegetable garden. The compost made out of the  waste is stored efficiently and is ready to use in a week’s time. At the sewage water treatment plant, the waste water is treated and used for gardening of the entire resort, which is spread across 20 acres.

Cleaning procedures and schedules

Whether it is within rooms and plush suites or in a busy kitchen, a well-charted-out sanitation plan can work wonders for a hotel’s  ambience. It also ensures that these spaces are cleaned at regular  intervals, thereby reducing the risk of bacteria formation.

“It is not easy for a housekeeper or a kitchen steward to maintain  the busier areas. A proper schedule helps to instill discipline,” says Bhushan Shetye, Executive Housekeeper, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia. “it is important for every associate to have a proper work flow, with the timings charted out. The person in charge should do a thorough cleaning while the area is not busy and maintain it throughout the day.”

Most hotels have a set structure and schedule that is followed to ensure none of the areas are ignored or missed. Sai Khavle, Executive Housekeeper, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport says, “As a practice, we have regular inspection of rooms that includes a checklist, daily deep cleaning cycle, and mystery audits to ascertain process compliance as part of the hygiene and cleanliness process within hotel rooms. Each guest room is scanned and inspected.

Regular pest inspection and treatments are conducted every month to avoid bugs in bed. The staff makes sure that the hotel is clean and sanitised at all times, and the schedules are in place and being followed.” Jain reports that the cleaning schedule for rooms and the kitchen has been divided into daily and weekly ones. The weekly schedule involves deep cleaning of these spaces. Detailed hygiene plans with  checklists and visual reinforcements help to maintain the hotel.

Apart from cleaning schedules, a quick clean-up of the kitchen and the restaurants should be conducted. “The spills, crumbs and the mess from  the stove, floors, table and counters should be cleaned immediately and sanitised. Special care should be taken when the spills involve raw meat; a disinfecting spray should be used on priority to prevent the spread of bacteria. The liquid spills on the floor should be addressed first, especially from the safety point of view, as a wet floor may cause accidents,” suggests Khavle.

She further adds that the dishes should be washed, dried and placed in a proper manner, in order to avoid their piling up in the sink, making the kitchen all the more messy. The leftover ingredients should be transferred to airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Handling the food right

Cleaning, hygiene and best sanitation practices are an integral part of every food handler’s job. It goes without saying that the highest standards of  hygiene and sanitation best practices should be followed in the F&B areas to prevent any cross-contamination and health hazards. “Measures such  as periodic checks, colour-coded practices, temperature logs, maintaining storage best practices as well as HACCAP standards are some of the best practices that should be followed in the food cooking and service areas,” highlights Shetye.

Besides, “while handling the food,” says Lakshmanan Ramanathan, General Manager, The Westin Chennai Velachery, “care should be taken that all food is date labelled. All chemicals should be stored away from the food processing areas. And most importantly,  the packaging of the product, its expiry date, temperature and weight as per the order should be checked by the chef in a timely manner,” adds Ramanathan.

 As a precautionary measure, “we use nitrile gloves for ready-to-eat food, high-risk items, etc. We have  colour-coded equipment and tools for segregation. Separate rooms are allocated for seafood, meat, fruit and vegetable. Knee-operated hand-washing station is available in each area of the kitchen,” explains Jain.

Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla has enforced the ‘Glove Policy’ as a hygiene practice for the kitchen staff to eliminate contamination of food with bare hands, states Mehta. Different time schedules have been set for receiving food items such as vegetable and meat with a view to prevent contamination. A standardoperating- procedure (SOP) is set for food vehicles, which plays an important role in avoiding contaminations of the ingredients that is flown from far-flung places.

Hygiene rules for F&B spaces:

• Staff hygiene: Wearing proper clothing and footwear for food processing is the best way to not just maintain hygiene in the kitchens, but also convey an image of a spic-and-span space. Long nails are an ideal home for bacteria and need to be kept short. An alarm system should be placed in the kitchen areas to remind the team to wash hands on regular intervals. • Clean floors: Kitchen floors tend to get messy very quickly with dust, crumbs, food particles and other matter. Besides the daily sweeping schedule, Khavle suggests that the floor should be mopped with a proper floor cleaner or disinfectant every week.

 Khavle also emphasises the use of the right type of solutions for different kinds of floorings. A carpet must be vacuumed and cleaned of stains every day and shampooed once a month. The marble surfaces should be dry and wet mopped by using a disinfectant, and polished once in three months.

At Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla, Mehta informs that they use Diversey’s R1 and R2 chemicals with chemical dilution dispenser, which help to eliminate the chance of improper dilution. “Besides, a professional vacuum cleaner having an airflow of 129cfm, with HEPA-certified exhaust filters, also ensures zero-dust flow back to the air and offers ideal suction cleaning of the surface.” A good  way to sanitise and clean the floor is “by using chlorine solution, especially in high-risk areas, says Jain. “This will help in removal of solid particles and debris.”

Disinfecting high-usage accessories

According to Jain, all touch-points like door handles, remote controls, light switches and headboards should be sanitised with 20 neutral sanitisers every day. In order to limit the spread of bacteria, Mehta says that high-usage items should be sanitised every day and wiped with proper disinfectant (Diversey R2) chemicals that possess cleaning and sanitising properties. A colour-coded microfiber duster should be used to avoid cross contamination. "Accessories such as remote controls should be  sanitised during every check out of guest rooms, whereas light switches should be sanitised during the dusting procedure,” states Ramanathan.

Segregating cleaning products

Labelling of each chemical is a must in the chemical room and also in  the kitchen areas for identification, states Jain. Further, she says, the training of the associates should be conducted on a regular basis and an in-hand demonstration of how to use the chemical effectively should be conveyed. For spotless and germ-free cleaning in the kitchen, Jain recommends the use of solid based chemicals that are free from phosphate and have a lower carbon footprint. In terms of chemical usage, Ramanathan suggests that its application should be based as per the intended surface to be cleaned. Also, the chemicals should be aptly measured and used as per the required area.

In-house hygiene labs

In order to maintain a high-level of quality in food and water, more hotels are now setting up their own hygiene labs. Hotels such as Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla and Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport boast in-house labs that test food and water samples.

At our hygiene lab, says Jain, “we conduct microbial testing of raw materials, finished products and water. Also, regular hand swab and equipment swab are done for checking and ensuring effective hygiene”. Apart from checking food and water quality, “TDS and hardness of water is also checked at our in-house lab at Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla”, says Mehta. As an everyday practice, the samples of food and water are tested prior to serving them to guests, adds Khavle.

Trending hygiene solutions

The world is grappling with the unique Coronavirus outbreak. Diversey, a market leader in providing cleaning and hygiene solutions, has launched its 'Infection Prevention' range catering to its hospitality customers, which includes Oxivir and Virex. It is designed for efficient sanitisation and disinfection. “In the personal hygiene segment, we have introduced a range for hand-hygiene called SoftCare,” says Aurodeepa Rath, Corporate Communication, Diversey India Hygiene Pvt. Ltd.

As far as laundry operations go, says Rath, we provide Clax solutions to hotels. Besides efficient washing, Clax Advanced, as a process, ensures a significant saving on energy as well as resources, offering an edge to the property in terms of its sustainability score. Clax Magic is a specialised kit that comes handy for fighting stains. For kitchens, Diversey has launched dishwashing tablets, called the Suma Dime. These tablets can be used on multiple surfaces and are phosphate-and-chlorine-free. Similarly, for pre-soaking application, Suma Carbon K21+ is suitable for soft metals/anodized surfaces.

For outdoor and common surfaces, Diversey launched SmartdoseTM last year, with its Taski range. The bottles come with an in-built pump that ensures an easy and accurate dispensing of chemicals. Ecolab, which is widely known for its hygiene solutions, has also launched several offerings catering to the hospitality segment. For instance, the flooring cleaning solutions by Ecolab has Neutral PH chemicals for sensitive surfaces such as marble and granite (natural stone), where acidic or alkaline chemicals cannot be used. The dosing system introduced by the brand helps in accurate dosing and dilution of cleaning chemicals for housekeeping and kitchen areas.

A key offering by the brand is a kitchen surface sanitizer, Oasis 146, which takes care of all the surfaces on which the food is actually cooked, and of the chopping boards and knives to avoid cross contamination. HK disinfectant cleaner, 20 Neutral, helps to disinfect all guest and staff areas in the hotel and is used across all touch-points to avoid contamination.

Maintenance of kitchen equipment

It is important to ensure that the tools and equipment used within food processing in hotels are sanitised. According to Sangeet Soni, Housekeeping manager, Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar, the use of metal detectable and food safety equipment in kitchens is a standard measure, which must be followed by food manufacturing industries to make sure there are no contaminants being brought into the space. Further, he says, a de-greasing compound should be sprayed on the surfaces of the commercial hood to break up the residue. If scraping is required, plastic scrapers and nylon sponges should be used to avoid damaging the surface of the hood.

“To maintain hygiene in the kitchen, equipment such as a blast chiller, chopping board sanitiser, UV knife sanitiser, multiple type of dishwashing machines, a steam cleaner, hot and cold holding and Alto sham should be used,” contends Jain.

Linen and mattresses

The furnishings and mattresses consists a lot more bacteria than visible to the naked eye. According to Mehta, “The room linen at Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla is washed every day after the departure of guests and on alternate days for stay-over guests. In order to remove stains and maintain the brightness of the linen, Hypo Magic (chlorine bleach) and Sonril (oxygen bleach) are used.

Besides, Clax 200 and Aligro are used for washing bed linen. Clax RR Sour is used as the final step of washing the linen. This ensures that no residue of chemicals remains in the linen whereas Clax Xtra soft is used in towels to ensure the softness of the towel.”

 According to Khavle, “Linen should be washed every day. However, the furnishing should be washed once in a quarter. The chemicals used for linen at Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport are emulsifier, detergent, bleach and neutraliser, besides hot water that is above 75 degree Celsius. The mattresses are cleaned using a steam cleaner, which is more like a vacuum cleaner using a steam that not only pulls out the dust also helps to sanitise the mattress.”

Upholstered headboards are shampooed on a weekly basis at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia. “The mattresses are checked regularly for any bedbugs or stains, and they are protected using the mattress protector. They are shampooed and cleaned using hot steam. Pillow covers are regularly changed and washed using low temperature Johnson Diversey chemical at 60 degree,” adds Shetye.

Failure to uphold hygiene practices in the hospitality industry can lead to bad reviews, damaged reputations, and a less-than-pleasant stay for guests. However, hotels need to look beyond the obvious areas to ensure effective waste management and cleaning procedures, particularly in the times of Coronavirus to avoid a health hazard.

https://www.hotelierindia.com/operations/10217-hotel-room-and-kitchen-hygiene-essentials-you-should-know-about  

[ezra0204]

Hotel room and kitchen hygiene essentials you should know about

A clean and hygienic hotel can turn an average stay experience for a guest into a luxurious one. While lavish and well-appointed amenities and a cosy bed is what a guest may look forward to during their stay, cleanliness and sanitation still ranks top on their priority list.

Clean and ambient rooms can help hotels to double their ROIs whereas unclean rooms, unhygienic food handling and poor facilities can impact customer loyalty. Not only are guest less likely to return, there is also a real possibility of a disease outbreak. Thus, it becomes essential to constantly monitor hygiene practices adopted by hotels, especially in the key revenue-driving segments, i.e. rooms and kitchens, owing to their high operational and commercial value.

Market leaders and industry experts share their insight on the practices that have a major impact on a hotel’s hygiene standards.

Waste management

Managing the waste effectively plays a crucial role in maintaining a hotel’s hygiene as well as in saving costs. “The solid waste at Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty is segregated in three bins, which are colour coded. Green bins are used for biodegradable waste, whereas blue is used to collect paper and plastic and red is used for glass bottles and tins," says Grand Hyatt, Kochi Bolgatty's hygiene manager Shalini Jain.

“Segregation starts from the kitchen and when the bins are hal-full, theyare carried to the garbage area and put in the chiller to prevent bacterial growth. The biodegradable waste is collected by the vendor for cattle feed. Besides, used oil is also collected from the kitchen and given to the soap industries on a monthly basis.

Waste water is used in the STP plant, for watering the plant in the garden  and in the cooling tower.”  At Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi  Okhla, the wet and dry garbage are segregated separately. “The wet garbage (waste of vegetables etc) is used in biogas plants, whereas the dry garbage is collected at the garbage room and then handed over to an authorised outside vendor," says its room division manager, Payal Mehta.

The waste generated at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia is used in the generation of compost of around 100kg every day as well as in the hotel’s organic vegetable garden. The compost made out of the  waste is stored efficiently and is ready to use in a week’s time. At the sewage water treatment plant, the waste water is treated and used for gardening of the entire resort, which is spread across 20 acres.

Cleaning procedures and schedules

Whether it is within rooms and plush suites or in a busy kitchen, a well-charted-out sanitation plan can work wonders for a hotel’s  ambience. It also ensures that these spaces are cleaned at regular  intervals, thereby reducing the risk of bacteria formation.

“It is not easy for a housekeeper or a kitchen steward to maintain  the busier areas. A proper schedule helps to instill discipline,” says Bhushan Shetye, Executive Housekeeper, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia. “it is important for every associate to have a proper work flow, with the timings charted out. The person in charge should do a thorough cleaning while the area is not busy and maintain it throughout the day.”

Most hotels have a set structure and schedule that is followed to ensure none of the areas are ignored or missed. Sai Khavle, Executive Housekeeper, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport says, “As a practice, we have regular inspection of rooms that includes a checklist, daily deep cleaning cycle, and mystery audits to ascertain process compliance as part of the hygiene and cleanliness process within hotel rooms. Each guest room is scanned and inspected.

Regular pest inspection and treatments are conducted every month to avoid bugs in bed. The staff makes sure that the hotel is clean and sanitised at all times, and the schedules are in place and being followed.” Jain reports that the cleaning schedule for rooms and the kitchen has been divided into daily and weekly ones. The weekly schedule involves deep cleaning of these spaces. Detailed hygiene plans with  checklists and visual reinforcements help to maintain the hotel.

Apart from cleaning schedules, a quick clean-up of the kitchen and the restaurants should be conducted. “The spills, crumbs and the mess from  the stove, floors, table and counters should be cleaned immediately and sanitised. Special care should be taken when the spills involve raw meat; a disinfecting spray should be used on priority to prevent the spread of bacteria. The liquid spills on the floor should be addressed first, especially from the safety point of view, as a wet floor may cause accidents,” suggests Khavle.

She further adds that the dishes should be washed, dried and placed in a proper manner, in order to avoid their piling up in the sink, making the kitchen all the more messy. The leftover ingredients should be transferred to airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Handling the food right

Cleaning, hygiene and best sanitation practices are an integral part of every food handler’s job. It goes without saying that the highest standards of  hygiene and sanitation best practices should be followed in the F&B areas to prevent any cross-contamination and health hazards. “Measures such  as periodic checks, colour-coded practices, temperature logs, maintaining storage best practices as well as HACCAP standards are some of the best practices that should be followed in the food cooking and service areas,” highlights Shetye.

Besides, “while handling the food,” says Lakshmanan Ramanathan, General Manager, The Westin Chennai Velachery, “care should be taken that all food is date labelled. All chemicals should be stored away from the food processing areas. And most importantly,  the packaging of the product, its expiry date, temperature and weight as per the order should be checked by the chef in a timely manner,” adds Ramanathan.

As a precautionary measure, “we use nitrile gloves for ready-to-eat food, high-risk items, etc. We have  colour-coded equipment and tools for segregation. Separate rooms are allocated for seafood, meat, fruit and vegetable. Knee-operated hand-washing station is available in each area of the kitchen,” explains Jain.

Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla has enforced the ‘Glove Policy’ as a hygiene practice for the kitchen staff to eliminate contamination of food with bare hands, states Mehta. Different time schedules have been set for receiving food items such as vegetable and meat with a view to prevent contamination. A standardoperating- procedure (SOP) is set for food vehicles, which plays an important role in avoiding contaminations of the ingredients that is flown from far-flung places.

Hygiene rules for F&B spaces:

• Staff hygiene: Wearing proper clothing and footwear for food processing is the best way to not just maintain hygiene in the kitchens, but also convey an image of a spic-and-span space. Long nails are an ideal home for bacteria and need to be kept short. An alarm system should be placed in the kitchen areas to remind the team to wash hands on regular intervals. • Clean floors: Kitchen floors tend to get messy very quickly with dust, crumbs, food particles and other matter. Besides the daily sweeping schedule, Khavle suggests that the floor should be mopped with a proper floor cleaner or disinfectant every week.

Khavle also emphasises the use of the right type of solutions for different kinds of floorings. A carpet must be vacuumed and cleaned of stains every day and shampooed once a month. The marble surfaces should be dry and wet mopped by using a disinfectant, and polished once in three months.

At Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla, Mehta informs that they use Diversey’s R1 and R2 chemicals with chemical dilution dispenser, which help to eliminate the chance of improper dilution. “Besides, a professional vacuum cleaner having an airflow of 129cfm, with HEPA-certified exhaust filters, also ensures zero-dust flow back to the air and offers ideal suction cleaning of the surface.” A good  way to sanitise and clean the floor is “by using chlorine solution, especially in high-risk areas, says Jain. “This will help in removal of solid particles and debris.”

Disinfecting high-usage accessories

According to Jain, all touch-points like door handles, remote controls, light switches and headboards should be sanitised with 20 neutral sanitisers every day. In order to limit the spread of bacteria, Mehta says that high-usage items should be sanitised every day and wiped with proper disinfectant (Diversey R2) chemicals that possess cleaning and sanitising properties. A colour-coded microfiber duster should be used to avoid cross contamination. "Accessories such as remote controls should be  sanitised during every check out of guest rooms, whereas light switches should be sanitised during the dusting procedure,” states Ramanathan.

Segregating cleaning products

Labelling of each chemical is a must in the chemical room and also in  the kitchen areas for identification, states Jain. Further, she says, the training of the associates should be conducted on a regular basis and an in-hand demonstration of how to use the chemical effectively should be conveyed. For spotless and germ-free cleaning in the kitchen, Jain recommends the use of solid based chemicals that are free from phosphate and have a lower carbon footprint. In terms of chemical usage, Ramanathan suggests that its application should be based as per the intended surface to be cleaned. Also, the chemicals should be aptly measured and used as per the required area.

In-house hygiene labs

In order to maintain a high-level of quality in food and water, more hotels are now setting up their own hygiene labs. Hotels such as Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla and Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport boast in-house labs that test food and water samples.

At our hygiene lab, says Jain, “we conduct microbial testing of raw materials, finished products and water. Also, regular hand swab and equipment swab are done for checking and ensuring effective hygiene”. Apart from checking food and water quality, “TDS and hardness of water is also checked at our in-house lab at Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla”, says Mehta. As an everyday practice, the samples of food and water are tested prior to serving them to guests, adds Khavle.

Trending hygiene solutions

The world is grappling with the unique Coronavirus outbreak. Diversey, a market leader in providing cleaning and hygiene solutions, has launched its 'Infection Prevention' range catering to its hospitality customers, which includes Oxivir and Virex. It is designed for efficient sanitisation and disinfection. “In the personal hygiene segment, we have introduced a range for hand-hygiene called SoftCare,” says Aurodeepa Rath, Corporate Communication, Diversey India Hygiene Pvt. Ltd.

As far as laundry operations go, says Rath, we provide Clax solutions to hotels. Besides efficient washing, Clax Advanced, as a process, ensures a significant saving on energy as well as resources, offering an edge to the property in terms of its sustainability score. Clax Magic is a specialised kit that comes handy for fighting stains. For kitchens, Diversey has launched dishwashing tablets, called the Suma Dime. These tablets can be used on multiple surfaces and are phosphate-and-chlorine-free. Similarly, for pre-soaking application, Suma Carbon K21+ is suitable for soft metals/anodized surfaces.

For outdoor and common surfaces, Diversey launched SmartdoseTM last year, with its Taski range. The bottles come with an in-built pump that ensures an easy and accurate dispensing of chemicals. Ecolab, which is widely known for its hygiene solutions, has also launched several offerings catering to the hospitality segment. For instance, the flooring cleaning solutions by Ecolab has Neutral PH chemicals for sensitive surfaces such as marble and granite (natural stone), where acidic or alkaline chemicals cannot be used. The dosing system introduced by the brand helps in accurate dosing and dilution of cleaning chemicals for housekeeping and kitchen areas.

A key offering by the brand is a kitchen surface sanitizer, Oasis 146, which takes care of all the surfaces on which the food is actually cooked, and of the chopping boards and knives to avoid cross contamination. HK disinfectant cleaner, 20 Neutral, helps to disinfect all guest and staff areas in the hotel and is used across all touch-points to avoid contamination.

Maintenance of kitchen equipment

It is important to ensure that the tools and equipment used within food processing in hotels are sanitised. According to Sangeet Soni, Housekeeping manager, Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar, the use of metal detectable and food safety equipment in kitchens is a standard measure, which must be followed by food manufacturing industries to make sure there are no contaminants being brought into the space. Further, he says, a de-greasing compound should be sprayed on the surfaces of the commercial hood to break up the residue. If scraping is required, plastic scrapers and nylon sponges should be used to avoid damaging the surface of the hood.

“To maintain hygiene in the kitchen, equipment such as a blast chiller, chopping board sanitiser, UV knife sanitiser, multiple type of dishwashing machines, a steam cleaner, hot and cold holding and Alto sham should be used,” contends Jain.

Linen and mattresses

The furnishings and mattresses consists a lot more bacteria than visible to the naked eye. According to Mehta, “The room linen at Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla is washed every day after the departure of guests and on alternate days for stay-over guests. In order to remove stains and maintain the brightness of the linen, Hypo Magic (chlorine bleach) and Sonril (oxygen bleach) are used.

Besides, Clax 200 and Aligro are used for washing bed linen. Clax RR Sour is used as the final step of washing the linen. This ensures that no residue of chemicals remains in the linen whereas Clax Xtra soft is used in towels to ensure the softness of the towel.”

According to Khavle, “Linen should be washed every day. However, the furnishing should be washed once in a quarter. The chemicals used for linen at Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport are emulsifier, detergent, bleach and neutraliser, besides hot water that is above 75 degree Celsius. The mattresses are cleaned using a steam cleaner, which is more like a vacuum cleaner using a steam that not only pulls out the dust also helps to sanitise the mattress.”

Upholstered headboards are shampooed on a weekly basis at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia. “The mattresses are checked regularly for any bedbugs or stains, and they are protected using the mattress protector. They are shampooed and cleaned using hot steam. Pillow covers are regularly changed and washed using low temperature Johnson Diversey chemical at 60 degree,” adds Shetye.

Failure to uphold hygiene practices in the hospitality industry can lead to bad reviews, damaged reputations, and a less-than-pleasant stay for guests. However, hotels need to look beyond the obvious areas to ensure effective waste management and cleaning procedures, particularly in the times of Coronavirus to avoid a health hazard.

https://www.hotelierindia.com/operations/10217-hotel-room-and-kitchen-hygiene-essentials-you-should-know-about