India: Got Delhi Belly?
India and Pakistan will battle it out in the kitchen to see which nation deserves the title of Foodistan, in a new Indian reality TV show. Caution: Sharp knives required.
Some good news for those who have suffered the notorious "Delhi Belly," or experienced some heartburn while eating in India.
Soon, restaurants will have to start complying with the country's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is going to be rolling out a new hygiene rating system.
More from GlobalPost: India: Food rots as people starve
"From small dhabas to five-star hotels," food outlets will get a rating of one to five, with the latter marking the highest rating, according to the Times of India.
The standards, which will be determined over the next few months, will take into account how clean the food is, storage and how the outlet disposes of garbage.
The plan will start in big cities then move to smaller towns, with the initial registration deadline set for February 2014.
GlobalPost Senior Correspondent in New Delhi, Jason Overdorf, said its unlikely the new rules will have much effect.
"With corruption endemic in every aspect of Indian life, the new rules will likely do little more than add to the long list of payoffs that owners of restaurants and roadside "dhabas" have to make every month." he said.
More from GlobalPost: Quit India? The country's new colonizers are Indians, too.
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