Poverty and Health Risks Found in Kitchens of Expensive Hotels and Restaurants
During inspections of hotels and restaurants nationwide, authorities found unfit cooking oil, expired ingredients, and unhygienic kitchens, resulting in fines amounting to millions of rupees. The Home Ministry instructed Chief District Officers to take strict legal action against businesses that jeopardize consumer health and to establish proper grievance redress mechanisms. The Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal (REBAN) acknowledged the need for kitchen improvements and appealed to the government to support entrepreneurs through training and awareness programs.
4 Shrawan, Kathmandu – From the outside, hotel and restaurant signboards appear attractive, and menus list various delicious dishes. Families visit these places expecting quality meals. But are consumers aware of the conditions inside the kitchens or the quality of ingredients used? Are they unknowingly paying premium prices for substandard products?
A recent surprise nationwide inspection conducted by the Food Technology and Quality Control Department, Commerce Department, and local administrations revealed that many hotels and restaurants provide customers with harmful ingredients under the guise of fine dishes. Inspections in the Kathmandu Valley and other districts led to fines worth hundreds of thousands and the destruction of hundreds of kilograms of unfit ingredients.
The state of kitchens in upscale Kathmandu establishments is particularly alarming. During a government inspection at Corner Point Restaurant and Bar on New Road, dead rats were found floating in the oil used for pizza bases. The Commerce Department fined this restaurant NPR 201,000 for using expired fruit syrup posing a significant public health risk. At Jire Khursani Darbar Restaurant in Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur, laboratory tests confirmed harmful microbes in meat transported under unsafe conditions. Following the discovery of about 14 kg of raw meat, 5 kg of tandoori meat, and 18 kg of meat without provenance, a fine of NPR 205,000 was imposed.
Similarly, expired artificial food coloring and lemon salt were found in a cramped kitchen at The Black Gold Restaurant on Darbarmarg, Kathmandu. At Express Eats in Chandol, expired chow mein and cooking oil with a Total Polar Materials (TPM) content of 38 percent—considered extremely hazardous and carcinogenic—were identified. The inspection team immediately disposed of the contaminated oil.
The situation is even more severe along the highways of Kavre district. In Namobuddha Municipality, fines totaling NPR 300,000 were issued to seven businesses alone. ‘Royal Mom and Newari Khaja Ghar’ in Namobuddha-7 was operating unregistered for one and a half years. Inspectors found shrimp and rats inside the kitchen and observed that raw meat and salad were cut on the same chopping board. As a result, a fine of NPR 250,000 was issued. ‘Newari Khaja and Bhansa Ghar’ was fined NPR 25,000 for maintaining a dirty kitchen and storing expired materials, while ‘Utsav Chicken House’ received a NPR 15,000 fine. ‘Lotus Bakery’ was instructed to improve cleanliness after being found using expired artificial colors in cake production.
Sarlahi district is in a similarly dire state. In Barhathwa, Sarlahi, inspectors destroyed 15 kilograms of rasbari sweets containing dead shrimp and bees in an unregistered snack shop. In Malangwa, the frying oil used at New Annapurna Hotel and Samrat Staffline Hotel in Hariwan registered TPM levels of 50 percent, a level dangerous for human health.
Large hotels such as Lalbandi United Hotel, Bagmati’s Sita Palace Hotel, and Sita Palace Holidays in Hariwan received fines of NPR 100,000 each for maintaining dirty kitchens, rotten vegetables, and expired ingredients. Other hotels in Malangwa were given final warnings for using unfit coloring agents, storing expired products, and unsanitary conditions.
In Chitwan, on 9 Ashad during the National Independent Party (RASWAPA) general convention, Home Minister Sudhan Gurung found fish bones in his omelet at Lords Hotel. The hotel was fined NPR 300,000 for serving substandard food.
These examples are just a few; such conditions have been found across the country. On 15 Ashad, the Home Ministry directed all chief district officers to take strict legal measures against hotels and restaurants serving stale, spoiled, or unfit food, emphasizing zero tolerance for any harm to consumer health. The inspections aim not just to fulfill procedural requirements but to yield effective outcomes.
To resolve consumer difficulties in reporting unfit food, grievance redress units including hotlines or rapid service desks will be established at all CDO offices. Complaints from the public will be prioritized and resolved swiftly.
REBAN has also requested the government to include representatives from professional business associations in inspection teams. Sharad Kumar Dahal, REBAN General Secretary, said business operators are prepared to take action if issues persist after first and second warnings. He noted, ‘All of us in the business community are willing to improve, but the government must create a conducive environment and opportunities.’
Dr. Balkumari Sharma, spokesperson for the Food Technology and Quality Control Department, said many issues highlighted by inspections have yet to be resolved. She emphasized that businesses must take full responsibility for their operations and cannot claim lack of training as an excuse. Weekly inspections are conducted in coordination with Kathmandu Metropolitan City, while daily monitoring involves the Commerce Department, district administrations, and consumer committees.
The Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene has intensified actions after uncovering egregious negligence and unfit materials in hotels and restaurants nationwide. Senior Health Education Administrator Dr. Bhakta Bahadur KC stated that compliance with food production and distribution regulations is mandatory. He added, ‘We are ready to address citizen complaints and grievances, and the minister is closely supervising and issuing directives on this matter.’