On the February 15, 2020, the Conference on Kitchen Hygiene and Sanitation was held at the 17th edition of the Clean India Show. Supported by the ‘Western India Culinary Association’, the conference was the first of its kind, intending to cover aspects from Design to Delivery.
We were privileged to have Food Safety Specialist Dr V. Pasupathy, (an authority on the subject) as our Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker. His knowledge and ability to speak in simply, everyday language to the audience, kept the session interactive and informative. A National Advisor to the FHRAI and Lead Expert FSSAI, Dr Pasupathy captured the interest of the delegates emphasizing the reason why they need to know about the subject. This provided the appropriate start for the conference leading into the panel discussion.
‘IDEAL’ – the word conjures up images of perfection. Sadly, circumstances belie the perfect world. Chairing the session ‘Ideal Design: Myth or Reality’, Ravi Wazir- a Business Consultant. Speaker and Author in the Hospitality Food Retail Sector, led a discussion on why ideal kitchen design is paramount to Kitchen Hygiene and Sanitation. The panel members included the Kitchen Consultant and proprietor of Kitchen Krafts — Marian D’souza, the Chief Kitchen Stewarding Manager at the Jio World Centre of Reliance – Sanjay Painuly, WICA Treasurer and advisor to the conference and currently an independent F&B Consultant of Pai and Associates – Chef Sudhir Pai and Chef Tarun Bhatia who wears many hats and has recently received an award for being The Most Influential Food Industry Professional.
The discussion aimed to explore the following:
• Architectural aspects of kitchen design like the flooring and walls, lighting and ventilation are critical factors to ensure hygiene and sanitation. How are these incorporated in kitchen design?
• What kind of automated and self-cleaning systems can be installed in order to improve standards of hygiene and sanitation?
The discussion was driven by Wazir enabling the panel members to express their varied viewpoints on the topic and concluded with the final question – Kitchen design is not so much about being mandatory as having the right mindset. What is your opinion on this statement?
The next session was a presentation by two experts in their respective fields…
Spending time in a hospital is not a choice one makes. What if you were being treated for one ailment and ended up developing another due to poor kitchen hygiene and sanitation? Chef Siddharth Vadhavkar who has been handling the kitchen operations for the past three years at the multi-specialty healthcare facility of Reliance Foundation Hospital, shared his experience.
Whether on business or holiday, the food that you eat on the flight is responsible for deciding your health at your destination. Chef Chetan Washikar makes sure this doesn’t happen on his watch! Chef Chetan has been associated with Aviation Catering for more than a decade and is currently the Executive Chef with Ambassador’s Sky Chef in Mumbai so his experience speaks volumes.
The crucial aspects of Hygiene and Sanitation in hospital kitchens and flight kitchens were clearly expressed and highlighted in these two presentations.
In order to include the upcoming generation of Hotel Management students, a unique competition that showcased their Essay Writing Talents was conducted for eleven leading Hotel Management Institutes in Mumbai. The five finalists read the autobiographies of inanimate kitchen objects relating to Hygiene and Sanitation – the kitchen duster, the kitchen apron and chef cap. They were judged by Felicia Cardoz – English Language Expert, Sunil Ralph – Group Head, Facility Management Services – GMR group and Sanu Samuel – Facility Management Expert. Takshanda Pandit from the Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management was declared the winner. Sameeksha Rane – Rizvi College of Hotel and Tourism Management Studies was the first runner-up and Amanda Divecha – Sophia Smt. Manorama Devi Somani College was the second runner-up.
Avril Sule — Project Consultant of CIJ and Farzana Gandhi – Project Consultant of WICA were instrumental in curating and marketing this event. Much needed and most neglected, we look forward to a greater participation in this conference next year.
