Kathmandu. The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has directed hotels, restaurants, sweet shops and eateries to maintain food hygiene and quality targeting the festivals including Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.

Issuing a notice, the Department has urged the food entrepreneurs providing food, snacks and snacks to the passengers on the highway to sell only hygienic and quality food items.

The Department has issued directives to sell only food items that have remained consumable, to keep cooked and uncooked food separately and to store the food items at a safe temperature.

It has also asked the government to keep the kitchen, food distribution area and premises clean, pay attention to the personal hygiene of the workers, and use clean utensils and clean water.

According to the notice, food entrepreneurs will have to make food available to the consumers only after cooking it properly using quality raw materials. Food items prepared in stale, rotten, flies-infested, dusty and dirty water or in unhygienic conditions will not be allowed to be sold. In addition, the department has also directed to arrange cold or hot temperature as per the need at the place of sale of food items and sell them at reasonable prices.

The Department has warned the entrepreneurs violating the directives to follow the provisions as per the Food Hygiene and Quality Act, 2081.

Similarly, the department has also urged the department or its subordinate offices to standardize the business on the basis of food hygiene and operate the business with a ‘food hygiene logo’. The department has drawn the attention of the businessmen to maintain food hygiene and quality as the consumption of food items and the movement of passengers will increase during the festival.