Food blogging can land you in a law suit

How many times did you find yourself visiting food joints based on the recommendations by a famous food blogger of Instagram? Many a time right? Well, this is the extent of influence blogging has made on people’s minds.

Recently food blogging has come like a wave of fresh air and a new theme. People who are into blogging businesses are literally getting paid to eat and post reviews. This initiative had helped many people gain employment and also directed foodies to better-eating places. On the one hand, this resulted in increased profits in the food industry, on the other, it resulted in losses as well.

Let us begin!

Impact of food blogging on the food industry

Hands with the phone close-up pictures of food. Fried rice with chicken and mango shake, one dish for two.

Food blogging is the idea that helped thousands of new start-ups or existing food joints a steady growth in the industry. It was through this blogging that the food industry now maintains a valuable spot online. The food industry has evolved to a great extend with such a practice. Let us understand the impact of food blogging.

It has helped people to establish their online presence, increase their customers and also suggested a cheaper way for advertising. However, blogging also resulted in bad publicity of a few food joints. This is because bad reviews were being posted by the bloggers.

Now, food blogging can cause you a lawsuit

Yes, you have read it absolutely right, due to new rules and regulations, food blogging can actually land a person in a lawsuit. This is the result of the collective resistance of the restaurant owners or the hotel’s against the negative reviews falsely posted. Coming back to the new law, it states that if a food blogger does not have any expertise in the field, then a negative review can cost him a lawsuit and legal difficulties.

Bloggers would be sued for defaming the food ventures

It was the Hospitality Industry based in Pune, which took the decision of suing bloggers if they post a negative review online without any expertise. The Hospitality industry from Pune also stated that the blogger should have a certification in cooking or gastronomical studies.

The chairperson from the hospitality industry in Pune, Sanee Awsarmmel said that;

” Only 25 percent of them are genuine. How can an engineer or an IT professional judge about food? It is like an engineer treating a patient and not a doctor.”

He also added;

“There are people keeping a close watch on bloggers who visit and review restaurants. Legal action would be taken for those defaming restaurants..”

It has been also said that all the bloggers who are not yet registered with the national hospitality body can also help in contempt for misleading practices. They can be charged with the accusation of defaming the restaurant.

Bloggers are actually running behind free perks

The most common complaint by the people part of food hospitality and industries is that people who can click good pictures and write creative are becoming food bloggers. They later start posting negative reviews about the restaurants and influence people.

Executive Chef, Shambhu Sharan from Emcure Group said;

“People claiming to be bloggers have skills to take good photographs and creatively write about the food. But that does not mean that they have knowledge about food, the chemistry behind it and also the gastronomical process.” 

From where did food blogging come?

Not many people are aware of the act that this type of blogging was initiated by Zomato which allowed bloggers to post a picture of the food with a review added.

Given the damages the negative reviews have bought to the food industry, it is now necessary to take some serious steps to stop false defamation. For the days coming, every negative review posted by the blogger will be examined with a legal procedure.

What to conclude from this?

Now assuming that you have read all the above-stated information in complete detail, it can be concluded that people have to become more serious. Now blogging is also not an amateur’s game. One needs proper certification to become a food blogger.

Gargi Rohatgi: