G20 Summit: Delhi govt deploys officers to ensure food hygiene ahead of dignitaries arrival

18 food safety officers have been collecting samples of raw food items being used at 19 five-star hotels in New Delhi and the Aerocity area, where the foreign guests will stay, a senior officer informed.

The Delhi government's Department of Food Safety has deployed its officers to ensure that G20 dignitaries and delegates are served hygienically cooked food during their stay at the city hotels, officials said.

A senior officer of the department said on Thursday that 18 food safety officers have been collecting samples of raw food items being used at 19 five-star hotels in New Delhi and the Aerocity area, where the foreign guests will stay.

"We do routine checking and sampling but in view of the G20 summit, we have deputed 18 food safety officers and are conducting laboratory tests on the samples being collected from the hotels since Monday," the officer said.

The two-day summit will begin from September 9 and heads of state have already started arriving for it. 23 five-star hotels have been designated for the stay of the dignitaries from different countries.

The food safety officers are also ensuring kitchen and staff hygiene, including cleaning of utensils. Before serving, the cooked food will also be closely monitored and sampled for quality tests with the help of police, the officials said.

The food safety officers will inspect the cooking facilities and lifting of raw food items at different hotels. The raw food material will be used for cooking after the lab reports come within 24 hours, the officer said.

No food item will be provided and cooked in the kitchens without conducting a lab test, he added.

The food safety officers will also keep a watch on the food served at banquets and other events of the summit. Normally, reports of food samples take 15-20 days to come, but the samples of the food material to be served to the G20 guests will be expedited and made available in a few hours, the officer said.

Meetings have been held with the city police regarding the sampling of food items since all the hotels where the heads of state will stay are under a heavy security cover. The police personnel have also been trained in lifting samples of cooked food, the officials said.

The sampling and testing of food and beverages, including snacks and tea, to be served at banquets, high tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner will similarly be ensured.