IRCTC Partners with Quality Council of India for Independent Food Safety Audits on Trains and at Stations
New Delhi, 15th October 2026: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Quality Council of India (QCI) to introduce independent third-party audits of food safety and hygiene at railway catering units across the country.
The agreement covers mobile catering units operating on trains and static catering outlets at railway stations. The audits will assess compliance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations and prescribed hygiene requirements.
Under the agreement, QCI will deploy certified professionals to conduct unannounced inspections on a quarterly and half-yearly basis. The audit process will use digital tools to record findings, document violations and track corrective action against catering vendors.
The MoU was signed by Sudhir Warrier, General Manager, Quality and Projects, IRCTC, and Subroto Ghosh, Principal Advisor and Head of PPID, QCI. Ramanand Nagender Shukla, CEO of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), Mohit Padhi, Assistant Secretary General of QCI, Rahul Himalian, Chairman and Managing Director of IRCTC, and Manoj Kumar Sharma, Director, Catering Services, IRCTC, were present.
Digital monitoring and corrective action
As part of the audit mechanism, inspectors will use a mobile application incorporating geo-tagging, time-stamping and photographic evidence to document inspection findings. Audit reports are to be submitted within 24 hours, allowing identified deficiencies to be recorded and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) to be tracked.
The inspections will cover food preparation areas, storage facilities, hygiene practices and catering staff compliance with prescribed requirements. Checks will also include staff medical fitness, the use of protective equipment and adherence to grooming and service protocols.
Food storage inspections will examine the segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian raw materials, temperature control during meal storage and the implementation of pest-control measures.
The audit mechanism will apply to IRCTC-managed catering operations at railway stations and on trains, with a focus on monitoring vendors’ compliance with food safety requirements.
Scope for additional quality programmes
The MoU also provides a framework for potential joint initiatives in areas such as passenger customer satisfaction surveys, catering infrastructure audits and specialised staff training.
QCI has previously undertaken large-scale monitoring and assessment programmes, including Swachh Survekshan and nationwide milk and food surveillance initiatives for FSSAI. Its role in the railway catering agreement will centre on independent inspections and digital reporting to assess compliance and document deficiencies.
The partnership establishes a framework for third-party monitoring of food safety and hygiene standards across IRCTC’s mobile and static catering units.
