What kind of raids can a restaurant or eatery expect?

---

Food Industry

The Food Industry is growing rapidly in India. Many foreign brands have also tightened their position in Indian food market by opening their outlets in various cities of the country. In today’s scenario, it is the most revenue generating Industry. This industry has so much to offer that anyone can spend a lifetime in trying and still have a lot left over.

Market structure of food industry

Food Industry is going to be the principal industry in Future in India. From the point of market size, in 2016 the Indian food market was worth $193 billion and it is expected to cross$540 billion in 2020. Many fiscal incentives are being enjoyed by this industry and through automatic route 100 percent, foreign investment is allowed in this sector.

Diagrammatically it can be represented in the following manner:

---

Impact on health of a consumer

In this modern era, it has become a kind of trend on visiting Restaurants and eateries on the weekly or monthly basis. Peoples are considering it, a kind of small outing from their busy schedule with their families. This lifestyle has given a path to the development of restaurant and eateries across the country. On one side People are enjoying this culture and on other side restaurants and eateries are also thinking that they are fulfilling the purpose of serving food to hungry Indians, who are able to pay them their price. 

But people are knowingly ignoring this fact that almost all restaurants and eateries are not up to the mark in sanitation, hygiene, and food quality. Their ignorance towards maintaining the quality and hygiene can lead a disastrous effect on the health of the consumer.

Therefore, the government has taken strict actions against these restaurants and eateries. For securing the safety of the consumer, the government has started making a surprise visit and conducting audits of the restaurants and eateries in order to check the level of hygiene and food quality for ensuring public health.

Role of FSSAI in conducting raids on restaurant and eateriesEATERIES

FSSAI is the main department who is accountable for framing the guidelines of maintaining the standard and quality of food. They are required to regulate and monitor the manufacturing, distribution, processing, and sale of food in order to ensure the safety of food.

Provisions under which FSSAI can conduct the raids of restaurants and eateries are explained below:

• As per FSSAI Act, it mandatory for every food business operator, to obtain a license from the department before commencing its food business. Therefore, running of food business without obtaining FSSAI License termed as an illegal business. This may attract raids from the department for checking the quality and standard of food and as well as legal status of concern;

• Raids can also be conducted on restaurants or eateries who are indulge in selling food whose quality is not up to the provisions, regulations made by the department in this regard and in accordance with the demand of the purchaser?

• If the department has doubt, on any restaurants or eateries in regard to manufacturing food in an unhygienic or unsanitary condition then the department is free to raid upon them;

• Any person who is selling, distributing or storing any food which contains irrelevant and inappropriate matter, the complain through any person in these concern upon any restaurant or eateries made the department liable to conduct Raid.

• In case, if any person gets injured or died in the restaurant itself, after eating the food then owner of the restaurant has to face the officers of the department at the time of raids.

Role of income tax department

The commencing of restaurant or eateries is also a way of doing food business; therefore owner is allowed to pay tax on income earned through this business under the head “Profits and gains from business and profession. The ignorance of owner in respect of paying tax, obliged the income tax department to conduct raids upon the concern restaurant or eateries.

Compiance of food adulteration act, 1954

As per this act, the owner of restaurant or eateries is prohibited to serve food which is adulterated, not as per the provision of the act, misbranded or for the time being restricted by the department. Once the food inspector came to know about the noncompliance of any above requirement, then he is obliged to conduct a raid upon the concern restaurant and eateries and owner have to face them.