Pune: In bird flu times foodies in the city looking for options; demand for seafood and mutton on rise

Pune: No tangy butter chicken, neither a chicken patty to add in your burger. The flip-flop on the sale of poultry products and fresh cases of bird flu in the state has many foodies spooked and sent restaurateurs climbing for options to keep business going.

With confirmed cases of avian flu in Maharashtra, traders in meat space are reporting a drop in poultry sales even as they step up efforts to comfort consumers on their safety standards. The food industry, already whirling under the impact of coronavirus, has lost little time in altering their menus to make them bird flu proof.

As customers dump chicken amid bird flu, the prices of seafood and mutton have gone up by 15-20 per cent in the last one week. Mutton prices have shot up to Rs 700 – Rs 750 per kg from Rs 600 – Rs 650 a kg a few days back, said Iqbal, a mutton trader in Pune. Similarly, fish sellers from the city stated that prices of commonly sold fish have gone up as consumers shift to other non-vegetarian items.

Apart from the traders, foodies who are busy gorging on some delectable food dishes around the city are also looking for alternatives.

One of the owners of famous restaurants in Pune on the condition of anonymity said, “People are cautious about ordering chicken dishes, instead people love to go for mutton dishes. The bird flu has created a fear among the foodies, as a result, chicken dishes aren't sold on large quantity. Also, people are turning towards paneer and seafood these days.”

Not only chicken, but eggs are also sliding low on the list of favourites resulting breakfast buffets witnessing a downward trend. Eggs or egg-based dishes are also replaced with preferred choice of meat or vegetables for foodies.

Reeti Banerjee, a foodie said, “Being a die-hard non-vegetarian, the recent news of bird-flu struck me way too hard. I cannot imagine eating pure veg food as I am so used to consuming chicken and eggs almost every day since I was a kid. However, as per the new guidelines implemented by regulatory bodies, I have started avoiding half-boiled eggs and under-cooked chicken. At the same time, I have stopped buying those fancy frozen non-vegetarian snacks from supermarkets. As alternatives, I have chosen fish and mutton to be a part of my daily diet.”

Sumit Kadam, another foodie said, “Apart from a being a foodie, I am a gym-goer, eggs are important for my diet but then I do not want to take any risk these days. If I have learnt anything from the COVID-19, things shouldn’t be taken lightly. For some days, I will prefer something else for my diet.”