Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken decisive action following alarming reports of human waste contamination in food served at local eateries. During a high-level meeting in Lucknow, Adityanath described these incidents as “disgusting” and issued strict directives aimed at ensuring food safety and hygiene standards across the state. These new norms come in response to multiple disturbing cases, including a viral video from Saharanpur showing a teenager spitting on rotis and reports of urine being mixed into fruit juices in Ghaziabad.
As part of his stringent measures, the Chief Minister has mandated that all food establishments, including dhabas and restaurants, display the names and addresses of their operators, proprietors, and managers. Additionally, chefs and waiters are now required to wear masks and gloves, and CCTV cameras must be installed at all eateries to ensure transparency and accountability. Adityanath stressed the importance of amending the Food Safety and Standards Act to prevent such violations and to protect the sanctity of food.
The urgency behind these reforms was further amplified by several recent incidents. In September 2024, a Saharanpur eatery was in the spotlight after a video surfaced showing a teenager spitting on food during its preparation. In another case in Ghaziabad, a juice vendor was arrested for allegedly mixing urine into the beverages served to customers. These incidents, along with similar occurrences in Noida, have raised widespread public concern about food safety.
Adityanath emphasized that such acts of food adulteration not only compromise public health but also destroy trust between customers and food providers. He urged for an intensive statewide campaign to verify the credentials of all employees working in food establishments. The Chief Minister also called for thorough police verification of every individual working in eateries, from chefs to serving staff, to ensure the safety and well-being of customers.
In addition to these reforms, Adityanath pointed out the need for long-term preventive measures, including more robust inspections of food establishments and stricter enforcement of food safety laws. He urged the state administration to take concrete steps to ensure that incidents involving contamination with human waste do not occur again. The government is also looking into amendments to the existing food safety regulations to make these standards legally binding.
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Adityanath’s decisive response highlights his administration’s commitment to safeguarding public health and hygiene. With these new regulations, the Uttar Pradesh government is setting a clear precedent for stringent food safety standards in the state, aiming to restore public confidence in the quality of food served at restaurants, dhabas, and other food establishments.
