Pune: Many restaurants in Pune are taking visible steps to rebuild customer confidence, following a series of FDA crackdowns on food safety violations.Eateries are highlighting their hygiene practices through open kitchens, stricter quality checks, fresh ingredient sourcing, staff training and more frequent kitchen sanitisation. Several restaurants have also begun displaying food safety certifications, kitchen audit reports and FSSAI licence details more prominently.“I have been seeing videos of the unhygienic conditions in which some restaurants are operating. I am now really hesitant about eating out,” said Neha Dighe, a resident of Hadapsar.“One of my favourite restaurants received an FDA warning. Now I am really concerned about cleanliness at eateries. I want to be convinced that a restaurant follows all the necessary hygiene protocols,” Ketan Agarwal, a resident of Wanowrie, said.Restaurant owners said transparency has become as important as taste, with diners increasingly asking questions about food quality, sourcing and hygiene before deciding where to eat.“We follow the highest hygiene standards and comply with all FDA regulations. Even then, diners continue to ask questions. It is becoming challenging to address all their concerns,” said a restaurant owner in Camp.“I have been allowing diners to see my kitchen. We clean it three times a day, and pest control is carried out every Sunday. This is important to rebuild diners’ trust because we have nothing to hide,” said another restaurant owner in Hinjewadi.Advocate Ajinkya Udane, legal head of the NRAI Pune Chapter, said, “Many restaurants have started sending messages to their loyal customers, informing them about the safety standards they follow while also sharing exclusive offers. As an association, we are encouraging our members to comply with all regulations laid down by the FSSAI.”Restaurants are also displaying their FSSAI licences more prominently to reassure customers and encourage dine-in visits.“There has been a noticeable dip in footfall this month. It appears to be a combination of the monsoon season and the FDA action. We have displayed our FSSAI licence near the entrance so customers know we are fully compliant,” said a restaurant owner in Kothrud.
