IRCTC has signed an agreement with the Quality Council of India (QCI) to independently inspect food quality, kitchen hygiene and catering-rule compliance on trains and at railway stations, with inspection reports required within 24 hours.
Under the agreement, trained QCI experts will examine catering services operating on trains and food units located at stations. Inspections may be conducted without prior notice, according to the report. The stated objective is to improve the safety and cleanliness of food served to railway passengers.
The inspection schedule will include checks every three months and six months. Compliance with rules of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will receive particular attention during the process.
The monitoring system will use digital technology. Inspectors will record the location and time of an inspection, along with photographs, through a mobile application. The digital record is intended to make the process more transparent and reduce the possibility of irregularities in reporting.
Reports must be submitted within 24 hours of an inspection. Where deficiencies are found at a catering unit, the corrective action taken by the concerned contractor will also be monitored. The arrangement creates a faster reporting cycle than a system in which inspection findings remain pending for extended periods.
The checks will cover the cleanliness of kitchens and food-storage areas, pest control and the maintenance of appropriate food temperatures. Inspectors will also examine whether raw vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items are stored separately.
Employee-related requirements will form another part of the inspection. These include workers’ medical fitness, the use of protective clothing and compliance with hygiene practices. The agreement therefore places the inspection process across both food-handling facilities and the people responsible for preparing and serving food.
The reported arrangement is focused on railway catering units operating within trains and stations. Its effectiveness will depend on how consistently surprise inspections are conducted, how quickly deficiencies are corrected and how the resulting digital records are used by the responsible authorities. The next operational steps are the scheduled inspections and submission of reports within the prescribed 24-hour period.
