SURAT, October 2: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has directed restaurants and food outlets across the city to install CCTV cameras inside their kitchens and make live footage visible to customers. The move follows complaints and viral videos showing allegedly unhygienic food preparation practices at several establishments.
The civic body has also intensified inspections across Surat, destroying hundreds of kilograms of substandard food and issuing notices to restaurants found violating hygiene requirements.
Customers to Get Live View of Restaurant Kitchens
Restaurants and eateries will have to arrange cameras inside food-preparation areas and display live footage where customers can view it.
The measure is intended to improve transparency and allow diners to see hygiene and food-handling conditions inside kitchens.
Viral Food Videos Trigger Action
The decision follows several viral videos showing alleged hygiene problems at local food outlets.
One widely circulated video reportedly showed stale vegetables and poor kitchen conditions, prompting food-safety officials to inspect the establishment and collect samples for testing.
157 Food Establishments Inspected
SMC health teams inspected 157 food establishments over two days as part of a citywide food-safety drive.
Officials checked kitchen sanitation, drinking water, raw ingredients, staff hygiene, food-storage practices and waste-disposal systems.
328 Kg Substandard Food Destroyed
During the inspections, officials destroyed around 328 kg of food considered stale or below required standards.
A total of 72 food samples were also collected and sent for further analysis.
Dozens of Restaurants Receive Notices
Authorities issued notices to 87 establishments for deficiencies identified during the two-day inspection drive.
Restaurants have been instructed to correct the violations and comply with food-safety standards.
₹4.64 Lakh Collected in Fines
The municipal corporation collected approximately ₹4.64 lakh in penalties during the inspections.
Officials have indicated that enforcement will continue against establishments that fail to maintain required hygiene standards.
Live Kitchen System Aims to Build Trust
The live CCTV requirement is designed to make food preparation more transparent for customers.
By allowing diners to see kitchens in real time, authorities hope restaurants will maintain stronger sanitation practices and consumers will have greater confidence in the food they are served.
Food-Safety Inspections to Continue
SMC is expected to continue surprise inspections across the city.
Restaurants and other food businesses have been asked to maintain proper hygiene, use fresh ingredients and ensure that their kitchen and food-handling systems comply with municipal and food-safety requirements.
Source – Surat Municipal Corporation / The Indian Express / Times of India
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