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- Dining showdowns: Russians complain about unsanitary conditions and catering services
Dining showdowns: Russians complain about unsanitary conditions and catering services
Dirty tables and dishes, substandard products, as well as poor service and tip—taking are the main complaints of Russians about catering establishments this year. This was reported to Izvestia by several public organizations at once. The situation is particularly difficult in the resort areas. And for small establishments, the most urgent problem is with food storage, monitoring has shown. An independent rating of cafes and restaurants, as well as increased inspections of such establishments, could prevent unpleasant situations, public activists believe. About what to be afraid of in a cafe and what to do if symptoms of poisoning appear, see the Izvestia article.
What do Russians complain about after visiting a public catering
60% of Russians have experienced clear signs of unsanitary conditions in institutions this year, according to monitoring data from the Law and Health Foundation for Food and Packaging Quality Protection. Most often, these are unmade tables, dirty floors and untidy staff.
"This indicates not only a lack of cleaning procedures, but also a lack of proper supervision by the management staff. In turn, employees' sloppiness may be the result of an undeveloped service culture and employees' indifference to performing their duties," the monitoring results say.
Russians most often encountered violations of sanitary standards in snack bars and canteens, as well as in cafes. Less often — in restaurants and bars.
"In the premium and mid—range segment, compliance is more often at a more acceptable level, but the overall perception does not improve, since the budget segment accounts for a significant market share," the fund's experts noted.
Problems are especially common in small catering establishments and cafes, where the requirements of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, a system regulating the safety of products at all stages of their preparation and storage) are often violated, said the expert of the Popular Front. Analytics", head of the Bureau of Investigation of the "Popular Front" Valery Alekseev.
— In such establishments, you can often encounter problems with food storage, temperature violations, or the use of cheap ingredients that may be of poor quality or even dangerous to health. This is another problem that needs to be addressed at the system level," he said.
Catering visitors complain about the quality of service and service, added Elena Sutormina, head of the Safety 2.0 Center and First Vice President of the Russian Peace Foundation. This is especially true, according to her, for popular resort destinations such as Krasnodar Krai.
"The key complaints relate to dirty dishes, which have noticeable stains, streaks, and leftovers; slow service: long waiting times for orders and the dish itself, especially for tour groups," she explained. — Visitors are unhappy with the imposition of tips, for example, when 10-15% of the cost of food is automatically added to the receipt without warning. I also don't like the rudeness and unfriendliness of the staff.
Why do people get poisoned in cafes
20% of visitors have experienced health problems after visiting catering establishments this year, according to monitoring data from the Law and Health Foundation. As a rule, these are food poisoning, indigestion, allergic reactions, and in some cases even infections of the gastrointestinal tract.
"This indicates that cafes, restaurants and other similar establishments often use low-quality or spoiled products as ingredients. A large proportion of allergic reactions may indicate that the composition of the dishes listed on the menu does not always match the real one, which creates additional risks for consumers," the experts said.
Parasitic infections or poisoning with chemicals may indicate insufficient heat treatment or products coming into contact with metal containers and dishes that do not meet sanitary requirements.
At the same time, the behavior of customers who encounter unsanitary conditions varies. If 45% of visitors report a problem to the staff in violation of sanitary standards, 36% simply leave and never return. Only 15% write complaints to Rospotrebnadzor or leave a negative review.
It is necessary to strengthen control over catering establishments, says Grigory Balagurov, director of the foundation.
"As a public foundation, we strongly urge the lifting of the moratorium on inspections and the emergence of new initiatives aimed at increasing the responsibility of establishment owners for consumer health," he said.
There is a moratorium on routine inspections of catering establishments in Russia. As Izvestia wrote, Rospotrebnadzor plans to return the right to travel for unscheduled control without prior approval from prosecutors, which is necessary now.
Izvestia sent a request to Rospotrebnadzor about the number of violations detected this year in catering establishments and the number of complaints, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
Elena Sutormina believes that a system of independent rating of establishments with the participation of visitors and experts could partially resolve the situation.
— We are currently thinking about our own system of guest surveys, expert monitoring, and independent ratings of establishments. There is even a working title — "Waiter's Index". We plan to evaluate the speed of service, courtesy, professionalism, knowledge of the menu, basic etiquette and hygiene rules in public catering places," said Elena Sutormina.
What consumers should do
The rights of customers who have encountered unsanitary conditions or poor service in establishments are protected by law, experts interviewed by Izvestia recalled. Thus, if deficiencies are found in the provision of services, they can be eliminated free of charge, the price can be reduced, or dishes of proper quality can be re-manufactured, said Ilya Vasilchuk, a trial lawyer.
"If foreign objects, such as flies or glass, have been found in the dish, the consumer has the right to demand that the dish of proper quality be prepared again for free," he stressed. — If the food is simply poorly prepared, then you can request free elimination of defects. That is, reheat, cool, add salt, fry, cook until cooked.
In addition, the consumer has the right to refuse such food and demand full compensation for damages. If employees refuse to respond or behave aggressively, you should immediately record this fact on video, write down the names of the staff, and save the receipt, advised Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of the VMT Consult analytical agency.
— It must be remembered that the contractor must have a book of reviews and suggestions, which is provided to the consumer upon request, and the client should receive from the contractor a document confirming payment for the services provided, for example, a cash receipt, — said Ilya Vasilchuk.
He recommended that claims be filed in writing, in two copies, handing one over against signature or sending it by registered mail with a notification and an attachment list.
If symptoms of poisoning occur after visiting an institution, you should immediately consult a doctor and make sure to fix the diagnosis, Ekaterina Kosareva added.
— In case of food poisoning, medical documents confirming the relationship between the condition and food intake are important. The doctor can issue an opinion stating that the cause was probably food," she explained.
Next, according to her, it is necessary to file a complaint with Rospotrebnadzor. This can be done through the agency's website, describing the situation, attaching a photo, receipt, and medical report.
— An unscheduled check will be carried out on the application. If the violation is confirmed, the cafe may be held accountable, up to and including temporary closure," she assured.
If the consumer has suffered damage — medical expenses, missed working days — he has the right to go to court and demand compensation.
— Judicial practice shows that if there are supporting documents — these are checks, doctors' reports, complaints to Rospotrebnadzor — it is quite possible to win such a process. In some cases, it is possible to recover not only direct damage, but also compensation for moral damage," Ekaterina Kosareva concluded.
Do not be afraid to make public cases of violations of sanitary standards, Valery Alekseev added. Additional attention to the situation can speed up the verification process and help combat violations more effectively.
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