Association Reaffirms Commitment To Food Safety, Hygiene & Regulatory Compliance Across Western India

Mumbai, August 07: The Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) – HRAWI has achieved a significant milestone in its on-going efforts to strengthen food safety standards across the hospitality sector by training and certifying 4,018 hospitality professionals under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) Food Safety Supervisor Training in Advance Catering (FoSTaC) programme.

Conducted in partnership with FSSAI, the FoSTaC programme equips food handlers and supervisors with practical knowledge and skills in safe food handling, hygiene, sanitation, waste management and statutory compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS Act). HRAWI has been conducting FoSTaC training programmes periodically across the region to strengthen food safety standards and ensure regulatory compliance in the hospitality sector.

The achievement comes on the back of two FoSTaC training programmes organized in Mumbai at the Hotel Le Grande on 4^th and at the Residency Hotel on 5^th of August. Conducted by renowned food safety expert Dr V. Pasupathy – Founder & CEO, Parikshan FSS Pvt Ltd., the two sessions successfully trained and certified 97 hospitality professionals, taking HRAWI’s cumulative FoSTaC certifications beyond the 4,000 mark.

“Crossing the milestone of training over 4,000 hospitality professionals is an achievement but more importantly, it reflects our commitment to building a culture of food safety across the industry. Food safety is not merely a regulatory obligation, it is fundamental to consumer trust, public health and the long term credibility of our sector,” says Mr Jimmy Shaw, President, HRAWI.

“Food safety begins with knowledge and is sustained through consistent implementation. FoSTaC empowers hospitality professionals with practical skills and scientific understanding that help minimise food safety risks and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. In 2014, HRAWI became the first Association in the country to set up its own food testing laboratory and later in 2017, it was also the first to conduct the FoSTaC programme following the launch of the initiative by FSSAI. Since then, it has facilitated the training and certification of over 4,000 food handlers from hotels and restaurants across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,” says Dr V. Pasupathy.  “It is encouraging to see the industry’s growing commitment towards continuous learning and HRAWI deserves appreciation for consistently driving this initiative to achieve a major milestone, and making food safety training accessible to hospitality professionals across the region,” adds Dr V. Pasupathy.

HRAWI has remained one of FSSAI’s most active industry partners in promoting food safety awareness and compliance. In addition to the FoSTaC training programmes, the Association continues to promote food safety best practices through awareness initiatives, workshops, guidance documents and member advisories, reinforcing a culture of safe food handling across the industry.

“Through our partnership with FSSAI, we remain committed to creating awareness, strengthening capabilities, and encouraging every hospitality establishment to adopt the highest standards of hygiene and food safety. We commend the dedication of all participants and extend my gratitude to Dr V. Pasupathy and FSSAI for their invaluable partnership in this endeavour. Well trained food handlers are the strongest foundation for a safe, responsible and future ready hospitality industry,” concludes Mr Pradeep Shetty, Spokesperson, HRAWI.

About the Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) – HRAWI

The Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) – HRAWI is a 76 years old Association of Hotels and Restaurants in Western India. Its members include Restaurants and Hotels up to 5-Star Deluxe categories. With membership base spread across Western India, HRAWI covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and is considered to be the voice of the Hospitality Industry. The association is part of the national body of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), located in New Delhi, which was originally founded in Mumbai in 1950 by the late Mr J.R.D. Tata.