The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has made its move against IRCTC after a clip did the rounds online, with some saying it showed just how unhygienic a rail kitchen can be. With a notice for clarification in hand, FSSAI is putting public trust and food safety front and centre of the issue.
You have to remember this is a service that millions of people put their faith in every day. This is a test: will IRCTC put things right in a hurry? Will FSSAI stand firm on the rules? The answer to that will set the tone for how contractors do business on long-haul routes from here on in.
Why this is making waves in rail catering
On one side you have IRCTC, handling all the on-train and station food for the Ministry of Railways. On the other, FSSAI, under the Health and Family Welfare ministry, is the one who writes and enforces the rulebook. For a meal in transit to be safe, they need to be on the same page.
Running a big catering operation is hard work, but when you see a shortcoming in how things are cleaned, confidence goes out the window. And these days, social media doesn’t let you get away with it for long; a piece of film can be on a regulator’s desk in a matter of days.
What we were shown in the clip
The video has been all over the internet. It is said to show the kind of utensils you’d use for catering being hosed down in the loo of Train No. 12223, the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Ernakulam Duronto Express. IRCTC has put on record that it happened back on May 24, 2026.
People have been asking if the basics of hygiene were even in place. Regulators have had a look at the footage and it has re-opened the conversation on how well standards are actually policed in a moving kitchen.
FSSAI’s line of questioning
According to FSSAI, the notice was sent out in line with Schedule 4 of the 2011 regulations on licensing. That’s where you find the hard rules on sanitation and how food is to be prepped, handled and put away.
Washing up in a toilet is a contamination risk, plain and simple, and it does a number on what the consumer thinks. So the regulator has asked for the straight facts and wants to know who was in charge of the service in question.
In a letter of May 28, 2026, FSSAI has called on IRCTC to provide:
– An explanation of what went down
– If a contractor or licensee was running the show
– A valid FSSAI licence number, where it applies
– What has been done to fix it
How IRCTC is handling it
For its part, IRCTC says as soon as the noise started, they made a move. The service provider has been penalised and the staff in question are off the clock. They say keeping passengers safe is what they are about.
But in an online statement, they also pointed out they haven’t seen any such notice from FSSAI. They also make the point that their mobile units are licensed by the Railway authorities, not FSSAI, in keeping with the rules.
Where the two sides are at
There is a bit of a disconnect. FSSAI says a notice was issued; IRCTC says it never came in. You have to watch how the two of them sort out their reporting and compliance from here.
It will be telling to see how fast they can put the public’s mind at ease. If the story checks out, then it’s a violation of Schedule 4 and you can expect a lot more scrutiny of the contractors and their on-board cleaning habits.
Enforcement could be in for a change
This is more than one train’s problem. It’s a question of whether the regulators can be trusted to enforce the law. The message is that if you let hygiene slide, there is a price to pay, both in your pocket and in your reputation.
Passengers want to be sure their food hasn’t been in contact with anything it shouldn’t have. As for the contractors, the word is to stick to the 2011 regs or face the music. We’ll have to wait and see what comes next from either side.
