A video showing catering staff washing food utensils being washed inside a Duronto Express train on the Mumbai-Ernakulam express has gone viral, triggering widespread outrage among the netizens. After the video gained traction online, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a notice to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
LTT-ERS Duranto Express
Clip shared on ‘X’
Notably, an account on the social media platform ‘X’, named Truth on Track shared the video. The clip captures an IRCTC staff member inside a train toilet with utensils placed in a basket resting on a closed toilet seat. The footage claims that plates and cutlery used for serving food to passengers were being washed in the cramped washroom area.
Passenger questions staff on camera
The incident is believed to have unfolded in the First AC coach of Train No. 12223. The passenger who recorded the video is seen confronting the staff member, asking him, “What are you doing? Is this an appropriate place for this?”
The employee does not respond to the passenger’s question, after which, he turns to an attendant standing outside the toilet and questions whether such practices were regularly carried out on the train.
The attendant responds by saying, “No, I have just seen this now.”
Further in the video, the passenger asks whether the same utensils were being used to serve food to passengers onboard. The attendant replies, “I did not see it. The people who wash them usually do it there.”
The video spread like fire on social media platforms, and many users expressed disgust, demanding strict action against the ones responsible.
FSSAI pulls up IRCTC, seeks explanation
The FSSAI swiftly took cognisance of the viral video and issued a notice to the IRCTC, seeking a detailed factual report on the matter.
IRCTC
The food safety regulator, in its communication, observed that the act violates hygiene standards prescribed under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
The notice read, “It has come to FSSAI’s notice through a video circulating on social media that utensils used for catering services in Train No 12223-LTT-ERS Duronto, are allegedly being washed inside toilet of the train by catering staff or contractual personnel engaged for onboard catering services.
Response awaited from IRCTC
While the incident has left netizens in shock and has drawn significant criticism, IRCTC has not yet released any official public statement regarding the allegations or the viral footage.