Dunkin' Donuts Selling Contaminated Donuts?

Food hygiene in India remains a major concern. When I was growing up there was a belief that street food is unhealthy and should be avoided. Packaged food was preferred since it was supposed to be tested as per existing law and a general belief that large companies would not take a chance with their products or their reputation. This belief literally went for a toss once the Maggi controversy surfaced. The incident revealed a can worms and opened up a Pandora's box. It not only appears that the laws were not in place to adequately address such issues but there was sufficient lax in implementation of the existing laws.

We would still want to believe that international food chains operating in India have taken adequate safety measures akin to that of their US or European parent's health standards. They advertise their products showing pride from their foreign origin or international reputation and legacy. But when it comes to serving locally, their products and hygiene standards are a far cry from the strict regulatory compliance in developed countries. Or perhaps we are too overwhelmed by these foreign brands to notice or point out their flaws. For example, there have been regular videos or email advisories point out how unhealthy KFC's chicken is or Pepsi and Coca Cola are drying up water bodies. But none of these allegations have been investigated and consequently do not stand a chance to be detected. On the contrary, sales of these products have only zoomed, generating revenue for the Government as well as giving a fillip to the economy.

I was not sure which side to take till I was witness to a bizarre incident on June 18 this year. I had gone to a Dunkin' Donuts' outlet below my office building in DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon in the evening around 5 p.m. As I started to look at the displayed donuts to make a choice, the first donut that came into view at the top left corner left quite me aghast. A Diptera customer was comfortably 'seated' on the donuts without any disturbance. I have clicked the enclosed photo of this repelling sight.

 

I raised an email complaint with its customer care on June 20 bringing the incident to their attention and pointing out that selling food items which have been infected by a fly are defined as an 'unsafe food' and is a punishable offence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. I requested them to forthwith let me know what steps/action they have taken in this regard. The subject of the email was: 'Cyber Hub Store - Selling Contaminated Donuts'. Anyone would believe that such an allegation with strong evidence would evince a prompt response. But alas! this is India where consumer care is of least importance.

 

After no response over the next 8 days, I sent in a brief but strong email on June 29 stating that if a response is not received 'within the next 5 days, I shall be constrained to take appropriate action as available under law, which shall be entirely at your risk and cost'. The seriousness of my complaint was perhaps then realised. The very next day  in the forenoon I received 2 identical emails, one from their customer care and one from Amit K Saxena, apologizing for the incident and requesting to share my contact number to take it forward. This was duly shared and a call duly received that day itself. However I was rushing for a meeting and requested the caller to call back the next day. In the meantime an sms was sent to me to come down to the outlet, which I felt was not appropriate to oblige. I did not receive any call the next day and wrote an email stating so and requesting them to contact me that evening or the next day. No further response. I sent in a reminder email 5 days later on July 7. Finally I received a call the day after that and the caller asked me what my complaint was about and what did I want from them!

 

I simply told him to refer to the complaint and address the issue over email. He explained to me over the phone that at times flies do come into the outlet irrespective of insect repellant equipments and at times enter the food display showcases. However, the outlet always has extra stock which replaces the tray if they notice any intrusion. Further, the entire leftover stock is destroyed daily under camera at midnight when the  outlet closes. These were the steps they take to maintain hygiene. The person was fumbling and repeated this more than once. I heard this patiently and requested him to send this entire explanation over email. However, till date I have not received any written response.

 

Dunkin' Donuts is a reputed international brand. To see that its standards of quality and hygiene have fallen so drastically makes me wonder if the brand is actually what it is advertised or has been simply hyped in India to increase sales in a mala fide manner. The current incident has left a very bad taste in the mouth and it will certainly not have me or anyone else 'sippin’ & slurpin & gorgin’ & more'. This clearly shows that whether it's a local bakery serving cheap snacks or a so-called international brand selling overpriced eatables, the quality of food items sold by them cannot be trusted.

The verbal explanation given by the caller seemed somewhat fragile and in the absence of written confirmation I am not sure whether to believe it or not. Further I am not sure if the controls mentioned are adequate - a fly can quickly contaminate the entire food showcase. The casual attitude of the management in not providing a swift response and responding only on strong reminder emails, shows their arrogance and utter disrespect for customers.

 

While I am still mulling on the next course of action, a recent facebook post by a friend on the unhygienic acts of a famous Mumbai Patisserie in storing delivery boxes full of dead honey bees, made me want to write this post and make everyone aware. As a self-protective measure I have decided to be extra cautious whenever I am in a food outlet, irrespective of its reputation or brand strength. I request you all to keep a watch on what you eat in your own interest. As the saying goes 'Precaution is better than cure'.