QSR chains assure customers their products safe, amid COVID-19 scare
New Delhi, Apr 17 () Quick Service Restaurant chains such as Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, McDonald's and Subway have assured customers of safety of their products amid the COVID-19 crisis, stating that they are taking precautions at stores as mandated by the authorities.
These measures include stringent hygiene norms such as sanitisation of even the "delivery bikes, boxes and hot bags", they said.
Besides checking temperatures, they are mandating staff to wash hands at regular interval, change gloves, and ensure double wrapping of the food products.
"The health and safety of our staff and consumers is of paramount importance and we are implementing extra strict measures to ensure their well-being while ensuring delivery of our food," said a Taco Bell India spokesperson.
"We ensure that every rider sanitizes his hands before picking up the food parcel, where all orders are 'double – packed'; wrapped in individual packets followed by an outer bag to ensure contactless transit of the order. The bag is secured with tamper proof tape where our customers are advised not to accept it if seal is damaged," he said.
McDonald's has increased handwashing frequency of the restaurant staff and delivery riders are also mandated to use hand sanitizers before they pick up the sealed orders.
"To ensure that people are fit to work, we measure and record the temperature of all staff before they begin work, as well as of the delivery riders before they pick up the sealed delivery order from our restaurant. Anyone with fever or flu-like symptoms is being asked to return/stay at home and seek medical assistance," said McDonald's India (North and East).
According to McDonald's, its "riders are also asked to sanitize their delivery bags," and has increased sanitation of frequently touched surfaces with "hospital-grade disinfectant."
Subway said it is "stringently" reinforcing its existing health and food safety protocols with its restaurant teams and is adhering to guidelines issued by State regulators.
"Any employee at our restaurants exhibiting flu-like symptoms is told to seek medical attention and to not report to work," said Subway Head of Marketing – South Asia Shuchi Monga.
Besides carrying out hourly restaurant sanitation, Subway is ensuring its "sandwich artists wear new gloves with every new order" and ensure that they regularly wash hands.
Domino's Pizza also said it is adhering to all possible precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and customers.
"All employees in the stores are being temperature screened every day and they follow a mandatory hourly hand wash protocol for a minimum of 20 seconds," it said.
Besides deep sanitizing its restaurants, Domino's Pizza is also sanitizing its "delivery bikes, boxes and pizza hot bags every 4 hours".
"We are deep sanitizing our restaurants as well as delivery bikes, boxes and pizza hot bags every 4 hours. In addition, we have moved all our deliveries to Zero Contact Delivery thereby avoiding any physical contact with the customer. Additionally, all our Safe Delivery Experts are wearing gloves and masks to ensure the safety of our customers," it said.
Pizza Hut said it is adhering to all WHO-recommended employee safety and food hygiene protocols such as "thermal screening, mandatory use of face masks and gloves, thorough cleaning of FSSAI approved ingredients, and disinfecting all kitchen surfaces, food packing boxes, delivery bags and bikes".
"We are also following an end-to-end Contactless process, which ensures that cooked food is packed right from the oven into disinfected boxes without human touch and the delivery executive maintains a safe distance at all times from the customer," it said.
According to reports, over 70 people were quarantined on Thursday after a pizza delivery agent tested positive for coronavirus in south Delhi.
The authorities are considering clinical screening of all food delivery personnel in the area to trace the contacts and prevent further spread.
The 19-year-old tested positive for the virus on April 14. Over 72 people whom he delivered pizza have been put under home quarantine.
India is under a lockdown till May 3 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
According to the latest updates from the Health Ministry, number of cases from Covid-19 has climbed to 13,387 and death toll risen to 437 in the country. KRH RKL ANUANU