A dinner at a luxury hotel in Mumbai turned into a food safety concern for cardiologist Dr Ashok Seth after he spotted a baby cockroach crawling on his table at the JW Marriott’s Romano restaurant. Dr Seth, Chairman, Cardiac Sciences, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, had been at the hotel for a medical programme involving around 300 doctors and was dining with colleagues and foreign experts when the incident occurred.
Because a cockroach had reportedly also been noticed in the buffet area shortly before he spotted one on his table, the incident, he said, was particularly concerning.
He subsequently posted about the experience on social media , humorously referring to the insect as “Roachie” and tagging Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and JW Marriott. Speaking to NDTV in an exclusive interview, Dr Seth said his concern was not simply about his own meal but about the broader issue of food hygiene and public safety.
Why cockroaches in food areas are a health concern
The presence of pests in areas where food is prepared or served is a legitimate food-safety concern. WHO notes that cockroaches can act as carriers of disease-causing organisms and contaminate food through contact. Food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals can cause illnesses ranging from gastrointestinal infections to more serious disease. FSSAI’s hygiene framework for food businesses, meanwhile, requires food establishments to comply with prescribed food-safety and hygiene requirements. Its Hygiene Rating Scheme applies to establishments including hotels and restaurants and assesses compliance with food-safety standards.
“When we see a cockroach, it automatically means that there are hundreds and hundreds of them around,” Dr Seth said, while questioning the condition of the kitchen and food-preparation areas.
