The Restaurant Industry: Are they Deceiving you ?

The Restaurant Industry: A Threat to the Society?   

               




Growing Food Industry                        

Food is an integral part of our life. It not only serves its purpose as a need but also as a scope of pleasure. More and more people are constantly searching for establishments that can meet their requirements. This creates a demand for an industry offering quality food along with various facilities. And most top-tier restaurants usually serve this purpose. The situation is not so different here in Bangladesh. But the sheer scale of our population plays an important role. This leads to a never-ending demand for restaurants and food courts. But this great shift of interest is causing some substantial drawbacks. 

Industrial Exploitation and Allegations

Restaurants in Bangladesh for instance Sultan's Dine, Kacchi Bhai, and other establishments are shifting towards strategies focused on sorely profiting. This can lead to numerous insecurities and health code violations. There will be consequences like  

• Food Adulteration, 

• Unlawful Practices of the Industries,

• Neglecting Consumer Rights and Safety,

• Poor Code of Conduct and Ethics,


Food Adulteration: 

According to ScienceDirect, Food adulteration refers to the act of intentionally debasing the quality of food by either adding or replacing the food substances with undeclared alternative components or by the removal of some valuable components. 

This is usually done to lower the cost or increase the bulk of a given food product. Click here for more details. The goal stays the same in our  region as well, where the rate of food adulteration is horrifyingly high. This can be damaging in various aspects like health, social balance, and the economy. 

This kind of food is mostly produced with substandard ingredients. And the process is not limited to the elements, it may include many non-food grade additives to lower the cost furthermore. These additives can have many detrimental effects on the human body. For more information click here.

 Despite these flaws, restaurant of all sorts continue to exploit these weaknesses. This constructs various vulnerabilities for the general public. Form a new report.






Law and Order:

If an establishment in Bangladesh is producing and providing consumables to the general citizens, it has to go through some rules and regulations declared by the BSTI. (BSTI standards catalogue 2021). 

These rules prevent hazardous and inedible contents from entering the supply chain. Every organization is bound to maintain these rules and regulations. And will face a serious penalty if these are not in effect. But there exist many companies that do not maintain the regulations, resulting in the loss of infrastructural integrity of the industry.


Dhaka Tribune, July 25th, 2015


Consumer Rights and Safety:

The persons who use or consume products or services are consumers. And consumers have specific rights and require safety. The CAB or Consumers Association of Bangladesh has passed the Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 to protect the rights of consumers.

 This enables a consumer to speak out, protest, and even take action against certain organizations. But in many cases, consumers are either not aware of these rights or are not in control of their decisions. This is done by the system to maneuver the public accordingly. Which is a direct contradiction to consumers' safety.



Code of Conduct and Ethics:

The term "Code of Conduct" refers to a set of rules set by the concerned authority that outlines social and moral norms, values, duties, and responsibilities. The hospitality industry is required to train their service associates, so they can maintain the institution's reputation as well as provide quality service. (Restaurant and Hospitality Code of Conduct). 


It is crucial for a restaurant to create a healthy working environment and also build a robust system to satisfy its clients. But one of the major reasons why this industry fails to have a proper working order is that its staff is not adequately trained or competent enough. This advances to unethical means. Which will eventually consume the whole system if not looked into.





Many of these cases are sparked into public awareness through viral allegations. Some of these are true, but others are too vague to draw a conclusion and require proper investigation.

But in most cases, there is no accurate research to back up the allegations. This turns allegations into a double-edged sword. If they are proven to be true, people can be aware of the hazard and their safety. But if they are false, it can cause a whole franchise to disappear.  
          
 "Perception is reality"
                           - Lee Atwater

Because "Perception is reality", the allegations need to be as accurate as possible. But how can we ensure the safety of the people and their beliefs? Some counter-measures could be such as
• Checking reputed brands and their followings to confirm food safety.

• The brand and its consumables are BSTI certified and up to the standards.

• Enforce general conventions to keep the industry moving towards an unethical pursuit of profit.  

• Consumer rights and safety should be the top priority of this industry.

• The industry should build on a foundation of ethical and moral codes and provide efficient and healthy workstations for their staff.

• The consumers should not be easily fooled by false advertisements and jump to conclusions because of the overhyped culture.



References:

• Mamun , M. & Absar, N.  (2018), Food Safety and Preservation, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/food adulteration#:~:text=Food%20adulteration%20refers%20to%20the,of%20a%20given%20food%20product.

• FoodNerd , (2020). "Four Incredibly Harmful Effects Artificial Dyes Have On Our Health",  https://www.foodnerdinc.com/blogs/food-for-thought/artificial-food-coloring-no-thank-you

• Dhaka Tribune, (2015). "Popular chains, restaurants increasingly adulterating food", https://archive.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2015/07/25/popular-chains-restaurants-increasingly-adulterating-food

• BSTI , BSTI standards catalogue 2021. https://bsti.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/bsti.portal.gov.bd/page/c82bd863_c051_46ce_af11_eb5bec479d5b/2021-08-31-11-36-54b7b1099157fbe275580fb4511a00bf.pdf

• Consumers Association of Bangladesh, Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009. https://dncrp.portal.gov.bd/site/page/81410ae5-17d8-456c-8cff-4bbd8742d809/The-Consumers%E2%80%99-Right-Protection-Act,-2009-

• Chron, (2019). "Rules of Conduct for Restaurant Employees" , https://smallbusiness.chron.com/rules-conduct-restaurant-employees-18671.html

[Shah Mohammad Zarif Abrar Ansari, 22201494, M42]

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