Sanskriti University Webinar on “Post COVID-19: Challenges of Food Safety Hygiene and Nutrition in Hotels”
New Delhi: Sanskriti University organized a Webinar on “Post COVID-19: Challenges of Food Safety Hygiene and Nutrition in Hotels” on 16th June 2020. The key Speaker of the Webinar was Chef Sudhir Sibal, who has been a multi-faceted personality having worked as Editor, Cuisine Digest, Ambassador-World Chefs Without Borders, Former Executive Chef and Vice-President India Tourism Development Corporation, and has represented India in Le Club des Chefs des Chefs(CCC).
The webinar commenced with the welcome remarks by Prof. DC Vashisht, Dean of School of Hospitality & Tourism of Sanskriti University. He emphasized the growing importance of maintenance of food safety and nutrition in the hotels across India. He shared the fact that the emergence of FSSAI in India has given a quantum boost to the food safety, hygiene, and nutrition aspects in the Indian context.
Addressing the students Chef Sudhir Sibal emphasized on foolproof procedures for food safety, hygiene, and nutrition in hotels. He also explained the importance of social distancing in the kitchen in light of the current global pandemic of COVID-19. He requested the participants to take more precautions from bacteria and chemicals contamination in the process of preparation and service of food and food products. He also advised the students to love the cuisine of their region and include more nutritional value in the cuisine. He also advised to include more vegetables in the process of preparation of dishes. Hotels will design the menu more balanced in terms of nutritional value i.e. food should be having all the required nutrients which are important for various organs of the human body. Hygiene has been followed in hotels for a long period, but in the post-COVID-19 scenario, more emphasis should be given to hygiene and sanitation aspects in the kitchen.
Dean-School of Tourism and Hospitality, Professor DC Vashishth emphasized the different food safety measures to avoid any sort of food contamination and food poisoning thereafter. He also discussed the importance of analysis of different factors that may cause any food contamination. He said that we should take preventive measures to prevent the possibility of contamination by having proper checks on the causes of any food hazard. He also emphasized the need for inclusion of food items rich in protein, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Different foods which can increase the immunity must be included in the menu of the Hotels.