Pune: Consumer complaints over the lack of transparency in cloud kitchen operations are increasingly putting the spotlight on food safety enforcement in the city.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been receiving several complaints, ranging from misleading restaurant identities on food delivery apps and undisclosed kitchen locations to concerns over hygiene standards and food handling practices.“We don’t know where the meals are being prepared or under what conditions. The FDA needs to seriously investigate this. If restaurants with front-facing operations are being pulled up for poor hygiene, then imagine the condition of cloud kitchens,” said Mayuri Padhye, a resident of Undri.Some consumers have also posted photographs of cloud kitchens near their localities on social media. “The condition of one such kitchen looked pathetic from the outside. I have lodged a complaint on the grievance portal,” said a resident of Pashan.“In Kharadi, we went looking for this burger place that has outlets in top malls in Pune. Expecting the same ambience, we drove through several narrow lanes only to find an old shed on a small street. We decided never to order from there and left,” a consumer posted on X.Consumers also alleged that many cloud kitchens in areas such as Wadgaon Sheri and Mundhwa operate out of industrial sheds. “On delivery platforms, the food pictures look appealing, but the reviews and ratings don’t always paint an honest picture. I once ordered from a cloud kitchen in Wakad, and the food quality was pathetic despite its good reviews,” said Bipin Kamdar, a resident of Hinjewadi.“There seems to be one cloud kitchen servicing three or four outlets on Zomato. So even if you avoid one outlet because of poor food quality and order from another nearby outlet of the same brand, you may still end up getting food from the same kitchen,” said Shivani Ghule, a resident of NIBM.The owner of a cloud kitchen in Mohammadwadi said, “We follow the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. A few cloud kitchens have given the industry a bad name. We have not received any negative complaints from consumers so far.”The FDA has started investigating such establishments after mounting complaints.“We are using each complaint as the starting point for an investigation and then expanding it to other entities. We are taking this matter seriously and will conduct strict inspections to check hygiene standards and ensure compliance with food safety norms at cloud kitchens,” said Digambar Bhogawade, joint commissioner (Food), Pune FDA.
