Cockroaches, Rotten Food, 'Gutka' Packet: FSSAI Issues Notices To JW Marriott, Andaz Aerocity Delhi

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday issued notices to two five-star hotels in Delhi's Aerocity after inspections found multiple food safety and hygiene violations, including cockroach infestations near freezers.

The regulator said notices were served on JW Marriott, operated by Aria Hotels and Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd, and Andaz Aerocity, operated by Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd.

Notices issued after inspections

In a social media post, FSSAI said action had been initiated against JW Marriott for "serious food safety violations and non-compliance with FSSAI requirements."

In a separate post, the regulator said an inspection of Andaz Aerocity had "uncovered serious food safety violations".

Officials collected food samples from both properties, with further action to be determined after laboratory reports are received.

The inspections identified several shortcomings related to hygiene and sanitation at the two hotels.

Cockroaches, flies found at hotels

At JW Marriott, inspectors reported inadequate pest-control measures, along with the presence of cockroaches and fruit flies. They also flagged poor upkeep of food preparation and storage areas.

At Andaz, inspectors found active cockroaches around freezers. Houseflies and mosquitoes were also reportedly present in the grinding room, while spider webs were found at the premises. Officials additionally discovered a 'gutka' packet inside the bottling plant area.

Also Read | JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity Celebrates 11th Anniversary with an Immersive Sensory Experience Spoiled food and cross-contamination risks at JW Marriott

The inspection at JW Marriott uncovered a range of sanitation concerns.

FSSAI said officials found "serious hygiene and sanitation deficiencies, including unclean utensils and food-contact surfaces, visible particulate matter in drinking water, inadequate pest control, cockroaches and fruit flies, and poor maintenance of food premises."

Inspectors also found food that had spoiled or developed fungal growth, along with improper storage practices and potential risks of cross-contamination.

"These included fungal growth on apples, rotten tomatoes, uncovered food, damaged storage containers, inadequate vegetarian/non-vegetarian segregation, improperly stored cut vegetables and food products not maintained as per prescribed storage conditions," FSSAI said.

Also Read | Delhi HC blocks FSSAI action over Aashirvaad '100%' atta claims Problems found across multiple kitchens

Several food preparation areas at JW Marriott were also found to have deficiencies. These included the Chinese, Indian, Italian and bakery kitchens.

According to FSSAI, the issues included pest infestation, exhaust systems that were not functioning, inadequate sanitation, poor allergen segregation, damaged storage containers and incorrect identification and storage of food products.

The inspection also identified shortcomings in other areas of the hotel, including the water bottling facility, dry store, coffee shop and vegetable preparation section.

Officials found a rusting drinking-water storage tank, problems with labelling of imported food products, poor sanitation and fruit-fly infestation.

FSSAI flags wider compliance failures

The regulator said the inspection at JW Marriott revealed shortcomings extending beyond basic hygiene.

"The overall inspection revealed deficiencies relating to licensing/KOB compliance, labelling, food storage, temperature control, sanitation, pest control, personal hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, allergen management, traceability, maintenance and potable-water," FSSAI said.

The regulator will decide further action against the hotels after laboratory testing of the samples collected during the inspections.

Elaborating on the violation, the regulator said that certain food products /materials, including paneer, khoya, chana masala and chilli, were found without the requisite licence/appropriate endorsement available for verification.

That apart, the hotel company was found carrying out retail and re-labeller activities without the requisite endorsement in its FSSAI licence, including retailing food products under the JW Marriott brand name.

"Labelling deficiencies were observed in pre-packaged food products, including misprinted FSSAI licence numbers and non-declaration of the complete manufacturer's address," the regulator said.

The FSSAI licence was also not displayed at a prominent place on the premise.

During inspection at Andaz hotel, FSSAI said "several serious food safety and hygiene deficiencies were observed, including improper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, pest activity, poor sanitation, inadequate food handler hygiene and improper food storage practices."

The officials found expired food products, including about 87 kg of expired sweets, an expired cake base and bread packets.

Other deficiencies included inadequate temperature monitoring, improper allergen segregation, poor waste management, structural and maintenance issues, and inadequate supplier verification and receiving practices.

The FSSAI's inspection team collected regulatory and surveillance samples including cow ghee, veg mayonnaise, creamy coconut milk powder, honey twigs, yellow masoor dal, tomato sauce, orange marmalade and coconut cookies for analysis.

Elaborating further, FSSAI said that inspection revealed active cockroaches near freezers, houseflies, mosquitoes in the grinding room, spider webs, and the discovery of a 'gutka' packet inside the bottling plant area.

The FSSAI officials also observed duplicate date-marking applied over expired bread packaging, alongside severe unpleasant odours and chillers situated directly between two bathrooms with exhaust venting into the chiller section.

The regulator has asked the hotel company to take immediate corrective actions with respect to the non-compliances observed and submit a compliance report at the earliest along with supporting evidence.

In the past few months, FSSAI has cracked down against food business operators as well as e-commerce platforms for misleading claims, labelling and advertisements.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)

MENAFN26082026007365015876ID1111582066