Western Railway to have food plazas at seven stations for a start

As envisaged by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, and in order to generate revenues from non-tariff sources, Western Railway plans to have food plazas at seven stations for a start - the stations selected for the first phase are Churchgate, Dadar, Andheri, Bhayender, Vasai Road, Vapi and Valsad.
These plazas will be operational 24 hours a day, and will offer wide variety of Indian, Continental, Chinese, and fast food.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 21 February 2017.

Indian Railways (IR) enjoy the highest captive eyeballs in a railway system internationally but it earns less than 5% of its revenue through non-tariff sources while many railway systems in the world are able to generate 10 to 20% of their revenues from non-tariff sources. Therefore, within next five years, the Railways wants to monetise its assets and undertake other revenue-yielding activities.
Hence, the Western Railway' scheme of establishing food plazas at railway stations within the next six months. The first batch of sensations have been identified and the viability of four more at Palghar, Borivali, Bandra Terminus and Boisar is being studied.


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Kerala exempts dosa from fat tax which will remain for burgers, tacos, pasta, doughnuts and patties

Kerala had imposed a 'fat tax' of 14.5% on certain eatables to curb consumption of junk food. The dosa, one of south India’s beloved snacks, has now been exempted from this proposed ‘fat tax,’ but it will remain for fast foods like pizzas, burgers etcetera.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 11 November 2016.

It may be recalled that the decision to impose a 14.5% ‘fat tax’ had been made by the state’s finance minister in July. It was the first time any government in the country has decided to impose such a fat tax in a bid to discourage consumption of food that may lead to obesity. Of course, countries like Denmark had introduced such moves, but it was withdrawn within a year due to public backlash.
Along with the 'fat tax', a 5% tax was also proposed on coconut oil with its repercussions likely to be severe in the state.
However, it has now been clarified that the 'fat tax' will be imposed only on products like burgers, tacos, pasta, doughnuts and patties, leaving out dosas, a most common breakfast dish in the state. The exemption has been extended to products made by prisoners as well because many prisons in Kerala have received praise for churning out good quality food products through prisoners who get paid through the program as well.
Incidentally, the newly installed LDF government in the state has complained that the coffers are largely empty because of massive corruption and mismanagement of funds in the earlier Congress-led regime and the imposition of the fat tax was an attempt to bolster finances of the state.


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Jhal muri is a pure Bengali fast food and it has wowed Londoners as well

Jhal muri is a heady concoction of fluffed rice (muri) mixed with chopped onions, green chilies, fried groundnuts and a whole of spices and topped up with raw mustard oil to give the tangy taste - a slice of coconut is added while serving. This is a pure Bengali fast food and it has now won over Londoners, thanks to a chef who prepares and sells it just like his counterparts do in Bengal.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 5 October 2016.

This chef has been preparing and selling the quintessential Kolkatan street food 'jhal muri' for a while now. His food van is named 'Everybody love love jhal muri' and people throng for a spicy cone of this Indian street food every day in various parts of London. It all began in a small way as a small cart and it has now transformed into a beautiful food van. The van looks every bit Indian as well with eye-popping vibrant colors, and flowers, and it will certainly remind one of home.
Encouraged by the response he has received, he has incorporated a few other Indian delights into his menu like Phuchkas, Ghugni, Lassi, Bengali Chai and Channa Masala.


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New Zealand to go in for aerial delivery of Domino's pizzas - via drones

Fast food companies have been toying around with idea of aerial delivery of pizzas and, such pizza delivery may sound futuristic but Domino's has been obtained the OK to test New Zealand pizza delivery via drones. The fast food chain has gone into partnership with drone business Flirtey to launch the first commercial drone delivery service in the world which could begin later this year.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 25 August 2016.

Domino's have said that it had been investigating innovative and new delivery methods in view of growth in its business and one of the options was the robotic delivery, which the government is still considering. While details have been kept a secret for obvious reasons, it is understood that Domino's would use drone delivery alongside its usual delivery methods - and, only where it would be faster than the use of a car or scooter.
The company has made it clear that it will not offer the full range of its products for drone delivery - and such delivery would be restricted to only those customers who live within a certain distance from a store and will get the benefit of aerial delivery.

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Kerala introduces a 'fat tax' of 14.5% on fast foods like burgers and pizzas

Kerala has set a new end in generation of revenue - the state has pioneered the fat tax in the country by introducing a 14.5 per cent levy on burgers, pizzas and similar food in branded restaurants. This concept is quite popular in some western countries as it tries to make food or beverages linked to obesity costlier in order to discourage their consumption.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 9 July 2016.

This fat tax has been levied by the new Left government in Kerala through its annual budget. A tax of 14.5 per cent is being levied on food items like burger, pizza, tacos, donuts, sandwich, burger-patty, pasta, bread fillings and others sold by branded restaurants as fat tax.

This is the first time in India that any state has imposed such a tax. Kerala hopes to earn around Rs 10 crore a year from the fat tax which is like a drop in the ocean because liquor had made the state exchequer richer by Rs 8,100 crore in 2015-16. Outlets like KFC and Domino's have mushroomed in the state and the government wants to tap the hidden potentials for earning more revenue.


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Seagulls in cities in Britain know where to find delicious foods

A latest research carried out by University of the West of England (UWE) has concluded that urban seagulls have mastered the art of locating food in cities. They wait outside city-centre bars and restaurants where rich pickings in the form of throwaway tidbits of food are readily available. Obviously, the wily birds have adapted to city-life by discovering where the best fast-food shops can be found.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 30 June 2016.

Another discovery is that city-dwelling birds love their fish battered and have also developed a taste for takeaway chicken and pork ribs. The seagulls linger outside boozers and eateries at chucking-out time and they will descend on a spot where people tend to gather after 10pm. Moreover, these streetwise birds gather on roofs and wait till the food is dropped or left behind and then swoop down to gobble up leftovers.
The 18-month research project also went into the nests to examine the contents of their nests in Bath, Somerset, and discovered more than 40 bones - from road kill and junk food - along with plastic forks and spoons, cable ties, rubber bands and human hair. It stands to reason that the birds have changed and adapted to their urban environment. They do not arrive on the dot every night, but they know which places there is likely to be more food dropped. In general, they start to congregate at about half past eight and their numbers are largest at about 9.45pm or 10pm.


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