Before world leaders arrive, BRICS hotels face FSSAI heat

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has flagged multiple food safety and hygiene issues at two hotels in Delhi’s Aerocity — JW Marriott and Andaz. These two hotels are listed among host or stay venues for the official BRICS Business Forum website, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. These included seizure of 87 kg of sweets that were past their expiry date at Andaz, and pest infestations at the JW Marriott property.

In a social media post, the FSSAI informed that it has issued a notice to JW Marriott hotel, which is a unit of Aria Hotels and Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd.

The notice has been issued “over serious food safety violations and non-compliance with FSSAI requirements.” In another post, the regulator informed that it has issued notice to Juniper Hotels Pvt Ltd (Andaz, Aerocity, Delhi) following inspections that “uncovered serious food safety violations”.

Top world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Indonesia’s president Prabowo Subianto are expected to attend the 18th BRICS Summit.

Inspections at Andaz Delhi by Hyatt and JW Marriott New Delhi identified a range of concerns involving food storage, pest control, refrigeration, labelling and food-handling practices. The regulator has collected samples from both the hotels and further action would be taken based on lab reports. The hotels have reportedly been identified among properties being used to accommodate foreign visitors for the summit.

The FSSAI also shared details of an inspection at JW Marriott in Aerocity (operated under Aria Hotels and Consultancy Services), in which the hotel was found conducting retail operations under the JW Marriott brand without the necessary licence. It was also found inadequate pest control, presence of cockroaches and fruit flies, and poor maintenance of food premises.

“Various kitchens and food preparation areas, including the Chinese, Indian, Italian and Bakery Kitchens, showed deficiencies such as pest infestation, non-operational exhaust systems, poor sanitation, inadequate allergen segregation, defective storage containers, improper food identification and inappropriate storage of food products,” the authority said.

The FSSAI further said pre-packaged items lacked mandatory manufacturer addresses or displayed misprinted licence numbers on items, including paneer, khoya and chana masala. The primary FSSAI license was also not displayed prominently on the premises.

Officials documented active infestations of cockroaches and fruit flies, dirty food-contact surfaces, and unwashed kitchen utensils.

Drinking water supplies contained visible particulate matter, highlighting inadequate pest control protocols and poor general maintenance of the food prep areas, it further said.

The inspection also highlighted hazards such as spoiled ingredients, including fungal-affected apples and rotten tomatoes. Food was routinely left uncovered or stored in damaged containers; staff also failed to properly segregate vegetarian and non-vegetarian products, mismanaged storage temperatures, and neglected required food identification labels, creating substantial cross-contamination risks, as per the inspection.

During the inspection, regulatory samples including Fric Bergen Honey, D’lecta Skimmed Milk Dairy Whitener, Drinking Water, Red Velvet Sponge, Angoori Rasmalai, Khoya, Paneer and Sonth Chutney were lifted. Surveillance samples were also collected during the inspection, and the notices issued, wherever applicable, were provided to the FBO.

At Andaz Delhi by Hyatt (operated by a firm named Juniper Hotels), around 87 kg of expired sweets were found in the confectionery area and destroyed on the spot, the FSSAI said.: Inspection revealed active cockroaches near freezers, houseflies, mosquitoes in the grinding room, spider webs, and the discovery of a gutka packet inside the bottling plant area. Bread packets bearing expired stickers were also recovered, and expired cake bases, flies and cockroaches were found in the pastry section. Deficiencies were recorded in the segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in the kitchen, with cutting boards used for both categories kept in the same water container, it further said.