NRAI Calls on Restaurants to Cut LPG Usage Amid Supply Chain Crisis
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New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) called upon its members on Tuesday to minimize LPG usage by concentrating on menus that demand lower gas consumption or shorter cooking durations. The association also suggested considering electric appliances as cooking alternatives wherever practical.
"Due to the current geopolitical tensions, there has been a significant disruption in the commercial LPG supply chain. Should the situation worsen, the restaurant sector could encounter serious operational difficulties," stated the NRAI in a notice directed at restaurant proprietors nationwide.
To ensure business continuity, job retention, and the overall stability of the industry, the NRAI strongly advises all members to promptly implement these fuel-saving and operational measures," the notice elaborates.
The advisory recommends that restaurants adopt immediate fuel conservation strategies, which include prioritizing menu items that consume less gas, opting for shorter cooking times, and temporarily limiting dishes that require prolonged simmering, deep frying, or utilize multiple burners.
Furthermore, restaurant owners are advised to turn off pilot flames on gas ranges and equipment when not in use, and to optimize gas usage during non-peak hours by consolidating preparation and cooking schedules.
Other recommended practices include batch cooking wherever feasible instead of multiple smaller cooking sessions, utilizing lids during cooking to maintain heat and decrease fuel consumption, and employing pressure cooking techniques to shorten cooking durations. Owners are also encouraged to simplify their menus temporarily to enhance kitchen efficiency.
Suggestions also include pre-soaking ingredients such as rice, grains, and legumes to cut down cooking time, avoiding keeping burners on standby during slow service times, and ensuring the correct burner size is used for each utensil to prevent flame wastage.
Restaurateurs have been motivated to explore temporary alternatives like induction cooking devices, electric griddles and fryers, combi ovens, convection ovens, as well as electric rice cookers and steamers, to lessen reliance on LPG during this challenging period.