CCTV IN RESTAURANT KITCHENS- SHOULD WE NOT KNOW WHAT IS "COOKING"

It is high time we make it mandatory that our restaurants install cctv in their kitchens so that consumers can see how much cleanliness is there and how food is being prepared.

Even in small country like Oman, Restaurants and fast-food joints have been placed under CCTV surveillance in an effort to protect the public from poor hygiene.

The ministry has installed cameras in the kitchens and storerooms of 10 ministry-approved restaurants, including tourist locations, fast food centres, butchers and slaughter houses as part of a trial.

Globally, there are cameras in food places often for security and general health and safety.

LOCAL CIRCLES SHOULD CONDUCT A POLL TO GET FEED BACK FROM PUBLIC.

Bengaluru municipality has already taken a step forward in this regard.The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is coming with a new rule for restaurants and it aims to solve the mystery behind the ‘No Admission’ kitchen door.
The civic body is all set to issue an order for around 2,000 eateries and hotels in the city to install CCTV cameras inside their kitchens, along with a TV monitor in the seating area that allows customers to see in real-time how their food is being prepared.
It is likely to issue this circular in a day or two and the restaurants will be expected to finish installations by October-end. Incidentally, this would also make Bengaluru the first city in the country to enforce such a rule for the hotel industry, one that is aimed that making commercial kitchens more hygienic.
The new rule will help customers make an informed decision on whether or not they want to eat at a hotel that promises appetising-looking food. “We often receive complaints on unhygienic conditions in restaurant kitchens. We find this during inspections too. Now everyone can see what’s cooking in the kitchen.
Almost all hotels have CCTVs installed on their premises to keep an eye on customer activity. Installing a camera in the kitchen for customers to see only seems like a fair deal.
Not everyone, however, is thrilled about the development. The Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association said it was too early to comment.

I add a piece of news item below:

""A video taken of a baker in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa city went viral on social media, and the person who took this video notified authorities after seeing food being spat on.

According to news reports, the baker in question has been detained, has undergone medical tests to check his overall health, and the shop itself has been closed until further notice.

How long was this baker doing such things before someone caught him on camera?

This sparked discussions of how do you actually know what happens in the kitchen or the cafes and restaurants we all like to eat at? If there is no camera and no accountability, who knows what happens behind closed doors. Users started asking things like: if the cook drops the food, is it thrown away or simply put back on the plate? And sure, they wear gloves, but how often are the gloves changed?

One particular “bad habit” mentioned by many social media users discussing the baker was “nose-picking”. We see them around, and some are shameless for they don’t even stop if you stare at them in disgust.

If one was to start thinking about it, one could go crazy with the possibilities and develop anxiety disorders over the infections, dirt and unhygienic mannerism of those around them.

I am sure everyone at some point had found a bug or hair or even a first-aid plaster (I did) or some sort of foreign object in their food.

One time, at a very fancy restaurant in Dubai,one person found a caterpillar and two flies in a salad, while the flies were dead, the caterpillar continued to munch on the leafy greens.

After notifying the waiter and the chef had come out and expressed his “shock” and how this has “never” happened before, I released the caterpillar into the garden of that restaurant for it to continue its feast. It wasn’t its fault it ended up in an “exotic” salad.

Would cameras in food related outlets help improve hygiene standards? One always wonder who actually sits and watches the CCTV videos at the end of the day. I would imagine one reviews them once something has happened and looks for who did it and when.

What stories like this do is to make us reflect on what should be under surveillance and what shouldn’t, and how we reach a balance between safety and privacy.

LET LOCAL CIRCLES TAKE A CALL ON THIS AND BRING OUT A WHITE PAPER FOR GOVT TO ACT ON. more