Koklata civic body steps up food safety drive, raids Gariahat market; seizes undated frozen meat
Kolkata, Sep 7 (IANS) Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials on Monday raided Gariahat market in south Kolkata as part of an ongoing drive to check the quality and storage of vegetables, fish and meat being sold to consumers.
Officials of the KMC Food Safety Department inspected storage crates used for raw food items, including fish, chicken and mutton. They visited fish shops across the market and collected samples from each outlet for laboratory testing. The samples were taken in the presence of traders, whose names and signatures were recorded before they were sent for examination.
The latest action is part of a wider food safety campaign being conducted by the department across Kolkata and adjoining districts. Teams have been carrying out inspections at hotels, restaurants, sweet shops, and bread and milk factories to ensure that food safety regulations are being followed. The authorities have now extended the inspections to markets selling raw fish and meat.
During Monday’s raid at Gariahat market, officials found frozen chicken and mutton stored in crates without dates indicating when the products had been stored or how long they could safely be used. The meat was subsequently seized by the Food Safety Department.
Around 10 to 15 kg of the frozen meat was confiscated and disposed of after phenyl water was poured over it to make it unfit for consumption. Officials said the action was taken because the frozen meat packets did not carry the required date information. Food safety officers also moved through the market and warned traders to maintain proper standards while storing and selling raw fish and meat.
The inspections follow a series of raids conducted across Kolkata on Sunday. KMC teams visited several restaurants and food courts, including outlets at South City Mall, Highland Park and Acropolis Mall. Officials checked the quality of stored food and examined whether food items, particularly frozen products, were being kept under appropriate conditions.
Municipal officials also inspected restaurants in the Bentinck Street area of central Kolkata. At Alia Hotel, they checked food stored inside refrigerators and collected samples for examination. Similar inspections were conducted at Ahar, Amber and Ami Bengali. Several food items stored in the refrigerator at Ami Bengali were discarded during the operation.
On Saturday afternoon, KMC Food Safety Department officials had conducted raids at food stalls in Dacres Lane, Jorabagan and Lake Market. Food quality and storage conditions were examined at shops in Dacres Lane. During the inspection, officials found expired sweets stored in a shop’s refrigerator. The sweets were removed and disposed of in a dustbin.
The continuing inspections are aimed at ensuring that food sellers comply with safety and storage requirements and that consumers are protected from substandard or improperly stored food.
–IANS
sch/snj/skp
