Pune: Food chains and restaurants in Pune currently witnessing a decline in daily sales and consumption of chicken-based dishes in the wake of bird flu. Even as the state animal husbandry department has directed people that there is no harm in consuming poultry products and cooking it at home, Puneities have decided to avoid chicken-based dishes.

After the COVID-19 outbreak, restaurants in the city seeing a steep fall in demand for chicken dishes due to the ongoing bird flu scare dealing another blow to the hospitality industry. The food sector had recently been permitted to resume services amid strict COVID safety protocols.

Abbas Ali, Manager at city’s famous Goodluck Cafe said, “There is a decline in the sale of chicken dishes. The restaurant is famous for its chicken delicacies but people amid the fear of the flu are preferring for mutton or veg dishes. The sale of egg dishes has gone down. Instead of ordering chicken, people love mutton dishes as the sale for mutton has slightly gone up.”

Roadside food vendors who sell a maximum of non-vegetarian dishes have badly hit. One such vendor who wished to remain unnamed said, “Every day I sell over 60 plates of chicken lollipops but now it has come down to 15-20. Before the bird flu, COVID-19 had hit us badly. If the situation remains grim, it will be difficult to survive in this business.”

Meanwhile, the sale of chicken, eggs and other poultry products have been the worst-hit amid bird flu scare. According to traders, the demand for chicken and chicken products has also gone down by more than 70 per cent.

Also read: Bird flu scare in Pune: Traders see a dip in sale of eggs and poultry products

WHAT WHO SAYS ABOUT CONSUMPTION OF EGGS AND POULTRY PRODUCTS

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already clarified that eggs and other poultry are safe to eat if cooked properly. However, no birds from flocks with the Avian Influenza should enter the food chain. Also, the meat should be cooked above 70 degrees Celsius, so that no meat remains raw.