What to look for
Visible cleanliness of the counter, utensils and the server's hands.
Food held at the right temperature: hot food served hot, cold/raw food kept cold, not left out at room temperature for long periods.
Separate handling and storage of raw and cooked items, and of raw meat/fish/poultry from ready-to-eat food.
A valid FSSAI licence/registration number or Food Safety Display Board visible at the premises, which FSSAI's labelling and display rules require food businesses to display.
The Hygiene Rating Scheme
FSSAI's Hygiene Rating Scheme is an online, transparent scoring and rating process that certifies food businesses such as restaurants, cafeterias, meat shops, sweet shops and bakeries on their food safety compliance, so consumers can make informed choices. Businesses are audited by registered Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies (HRAAs) against a published checklist, and the resulting score is converted to a rating.
You can look for a displayed hygiene rating certificate at a food outlet, or check FSSAI's hygiene rating portal.