Food Safety and Drug Administration has fixed key points for inspection, checks will cover everything from licenses to kitchen, storage and drainage systems
Officials will also check separate areas, cutting boards, utensils and knives for raw meat, poultry and seafood products
Lucknow, September 2026 : To provide safe and clean food to the people of the state, the food safety and drug administration has placed special emphasis on compliance with food safety standards in hotels, restaurants, fast food retail chains, dhabas, and other eateries. The department has set key points for the inspection of establishments. During inspection, checks will be carried out ranging from food license and registration to the dining area, kitchen, storage, drainage, cleanliness, and the arrangement for preparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.
The department's emphasis will be on ensuring that establishments involved in the food business have arrangements in place to prevent the possibility of physical, chemical, or microbial contamination in food items. Along with this, compliance with prescribed precautions in handling and preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood products to prevent cross-contamination will also be checked.
The license should match the nature of the business during inspection, the first thing to be checked will be whether the food business operator has obtained a food license or registration in accordance with the actual nature of their business. That is, whether the establishment is operating as a hotel, restaurant, dhaba, canteen, or catering business, the license or registration should also correspond to that same category. Through this arrangement, emphasis has been placed on ensuring clarity between the nature of the food business and the permission obtained for it.
Special focus on cleanliness from kitchen to storage
In the departmental inspection, along with the establishment's dining area, the condition of the kitchen and storage area will be important. The condition of the floors, ceilings, and walls of these places should be such that it does not create the possibility of physical, chemical, or microbial contamination of food items. Along with this, the establishment's drainage system will also be inspected. The inspection will check whether the drainage arrangement is functioning properly or not.
Separate area and utensils for raw meat
The arrangement to prevent cross-contamination in establishments preparing non-vegetarian food items will also be an important part of the inspection. Emphasis has been placed on having a separate area for raw meat, poultry, and seafood products, along with keeping the items used for them separate as well. During inspection, officials will check whether separate cutting boards, utensils, and knives are being used for these products or not. The objective of this is to prevent the possibility of contamination from one product to another during the food preparation process.
Cleaning and sanitization of surfaces necessary after preparing meat
The process of cleaning the surface used after preparing raw meat or poultry will also be checked. According to departmental officials, such surfaces should be cleaned with an anti-bacterial cleaning agent, followed by washing with water and sanitizing. The emphasis is on reducing the risk of other food items being affected due to possible bacteria present on the surface that came into contact with raw meat.
Preparation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food should remain separate
The food safety and drug administration department has also included the process of preparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian products among the key points of inspection. In hotels, restaurants, dhabas, and other related establishments, it will be checked whether the preparation, procedure, and cooking of vegetarian and non-vegetarian products are being carried out separately or not. The department's objective through inspection is to make the safe food management arrangements among food business operators effective and to ensure the availability of clean and safe food to consumers.
