Mumbai, a bustling city which is home to an uncountable number of restaurants – with cuisines to match everyone’s palettes, has had to develop industrial strategies to battle the pandemic. With new policies of contactless deliveries, food is produced and consumed in a manner that has adversely impacted the food industry.
The government’s last verdict has allowed restaurants, cafes and eateries to open. However, there are several restrictions that involve limits on customer capacity, currently standing at 50% at each outlet, whilst also maintaining a minimum 3 feet distance. Officials have encouraged food businesses to continue contactless home deliveries to let the industry survive, while limiting the spread of the virus.
Unfortunately, restaurants are currently facing staff shortages, which are leading to slower customer service. Lack of sanitation staff poses a dangerous challenge: maintaining the predetermined hygiene standards, which have become a priority during the pandemic. Rental restaurants have also been impacted drastically, due to the lack of revenue generated, with limited customers, causing several outlets to shut down!
During the pandemic, however, we have seen a boom in the delivery service industries. These delivery companies have taken precautions as per the government’s regulations. Mohit Sardana, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Zomato stated that, “Amidst the current lockdown situation in India, ensuring delivery of safe, hygienic food to our customers is paramount for us. To ensure this, we have launched a contactless delivery. Customers can opt to allow the delivery partner to leave the package outside their home, ensuring no human-to-human interaction and hence lowering the risk of any transmission.”
If we continue to follow these basic precautionary measures, home delivery may not be a threat for us. Before you order from any of these websites or establishments, however, you must check the Hygiene Ratings and Safety-Standard badges. Choosing Contactless-Delivery options whilst ordering, and discarding the outer packaging, is also extremely essential. Sanitising hands and avoiding facial contact is a must to ensure safety. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has claimed that coronavirus is thermolabile (easily destroyed or deactivated by heat) and is therefore susceptible to normal cooking temperatures. Therefore, it is recommended to reheat delivered food before consumption. The entire food industry has been affected dangerously, but we must continue to stay safe and follow precautionary measures.
