KFC India has reopened its restaurant in Tuticorin following the Madras High Court’s interim order.
The primary issue at hand was the alleged use of Magnesium Silicate Synthetic, which was cited as a reason for the suspension of operation of the KFC restaurant. Vide order W.P.(MD)No.16192 of 2024, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has found no merit in the prohibition of edible oil reuse imposed and the court found that the prohibition against the reuse of cooking oil, cited in the present case was misapplied.
The court, led by Justice G.R. Swaminathan, has issued an interim stay on the suspension of the KFC license to operate the restaurant, highlighting several procedural flaws in the enforcement action.
Further, the court also noted that Magnesium Silicate Synthetic, rather than being a prohibited substance, is recognized as a permissible filtration agent. Learned Judge observed that the suspension of the license is faulted since an improvement notice was not issued by the Designated Officer.
According to Section 32(1) of FSSA 2006, an improvement notice is required to be issued first, and only if the food business operator fails to comply, should the license be suspended.
The Designated Officer did not issue an improvement notice during the visit dated 4th July 2024 and directly shut down the restaurant.
A KFC India spokesperson said, “The Honourable High Court’s decision reaffirms that KFC’s range of products are safe for consumption. We use FSSAI-permitted, high-quality ingredients and only those food processing aids permitted by FSSAI and other relevant authorities.
KFC remains steadfastly committed and uncompromising to the safety and quality of the products we serve across all our restaurants.”
The High Court interim order helps reiterate that KFC restaurants across the country follow all applicable safety and quality standards that comply with applicable FSSAI regulations and those of other relevant authorities. All products are of high quality, and safe for consumption.
From the suppliers’ farm to the customer, KFC chicken goes through 34 quality checks and each piece of chicken is manually hand-breaded before being cooked at a minimum of 170 degrees Celsius.
All oil used is high-quality and sourced from reputed suppliers in the country. The brand follows the best practices & international standards while cooking & serving high quality products to customers.
