B Swaminathan | (cbedit@imaws.org)
Parikshan FSS stands out for its commitment to client satisfaction, delivering tailored solutions that align with each client’s unique needs. Through a blend of industry experience and technological prowess, they empower organizations to navigate the complexities of the food safety landscape with confidence and agility, driving growth and resilience in an ever-evolving market. PARIKSHAN Chennai is an NABL accredited food testing Laboratory. With branches are across India at South India, the food safety leader is on an expansion spree. In an exclusive chat, A.G. Saranya Gayathri, Managing Director Parikshan FSS speaks on various trending aspects in the food safety aspects and their organziation aiming to open physical offices across India.
Your organization is nearing 25 years. What were the key challenges you think, you had faced while starting the organization?
• Absence of a proper food safety regulator.
• Not a very transparent consumer review ecosystem.
• Less than 1% of hospitality service industry testing their samples.
Hence given this backdrop it was not a commercial motive that made as get into this consulting but a vision that safe food would be the demand and norm for the future. So, in 1998 to introduce yourself to any food businessmen in food service saying that this are my service would like to pay for any services and adopt it.? Even if you pay me will your team follow what we are recommending?
After see this customer going to pay or recognise hygiene in the hotel? So, it was like selling real estate in mars. But by some strange coincidence what we spoke and what we offer is understood by the industry and the beginners challenge was not feat by us.
Can you share any recent success stories where your consulting services have significantly enhanced the food safety practices of a hotel or restaurant, resulting in tangible improvements and customer satisfaction?
Our founder had a unique way of understanding the industry in a depth and relating science to the operation and business outcome of the client. So his plate contained a good diet of training ,smart audits ,recommending corrective actions and developing a system to ensure food safety management system. There are enumerable episodes where food safety consultancy from us given tangible business results. For example, top corporates and flight companies visit the back areas including kitchen then only sign for business our units had 100% strike rate on this. Other examples more common is a strict monitor of receiving and storage has brought down wastage product loss and yield variation significantly among our clients.
With the hospitality industry facing increasing scrutiny over food safety, what proactive strategies do you recommend to mitigate risks and maintain compliance with regulatory standards?
Hospitality industry is a glass house in a public road. Everybody in the world thinks they are entitled for opinion on food but hospitality 90% of public scrutiny happens without any knowledge or science supported well by a non-factual social media and enforcement scrutiny which may not always be balanced based on scientific merits. But Indian hospitality industry was first to welcome new legislation 6 years before FoSTaC was introduced nook and corner of the country was covered by us with FHRAI and its regional and state partners, food grains merchant, bakery association etc., enabling industry to complaint very modern science-based legislation which is step above the best in terms of content, unsupported by rudderless perishable supply in the market. To the credit of the industry, it could identify good intention of legislation and made the best attempt to comply while representing to authority and government with the practical dark areas in food chain. Industry representations to the government where heard many were answered while still done are unanswered like pesticide residues from farm to marker which has no residue information for hotelier to .
How do you tailor your consulting approach to accommodate the unique needs and operational dynamics of different hotels and restaurants, from small local eateries to large-scale chains?
Our founder had unique sensitivity coupled with science approach. “The person who eats the meal for Rs.5 to Rs.10 deserves safe food more than these who can afford a costly meal”. These are these words do our organisation divided the whole concept of consulting into 10 strata’s starting from luxury 5 star to street food from flight catering to temple food from international chains to QSR to home-to-home bakers. This is what made us very successful because we have a system which is apt and affordable to every layer of food service industry to comply with law and establish a customised FSMS that fits their pocket. Secret of our organisation is the in-depth training that is given to every staff.
In the age of social media and instant online reviews, how important is transparency and proactive communication regarding food safety practices for hotels and restaurants, and how do you assist your clients in managing public perception?
As a blessing in disguise hygiene rating from FSSAI came as boom to industry in the last week of 2018.We are very proud to been part of structuring the audit, training the auditors to get qualified and to have done the first 150 audits in the country in the first 3 weeks of 2019. From then on hygiene rating picked up speed with so many qualified agencies and auditors effectively hygiene rating so many establishments across the country .Many hotels have been protective in declaring the HR status in their digital marketing and social media .By now almost all proudly hang their certificates in their establishment .However it is very sad that the citizen cares little about these efforts and surprisingly enforcement also doesn’t guarantee in every occasion that these ratings are considered when they comment on an establishment.
Looking ahead, what emerging trends or technologies do you foresee playing a significant role in advancing food safety practices within the hospitality sector, and how is your company positioned to support clients in adopting these innovations?
We have been very proactive by introducing by very dynamic app for our hygiene monitoring and a very unique SARS model for menu labelling which is extremely science based. From this use are progressing towards advanced AI based hygiene status reporting in the very near future.
What are the expansion plans of your organization and what are the new industry segment you are planning to venture into?
As an organisation we have always been Pan India but now we are planning proper offices across country. Thanks to digital connectivity already nationwide we are the most trusted TP’S in FoSTaC toppings the FoSTaC dashboard more than 2,10,000 participants 5000 trainings fore fronted by nations first 2 diamond trainers and we have 80+ young empowered food safety experts to lead and fulfil the vision of ensuring food safety in India by empowering society through science.
