Gujarat: Five licences suspended after food safety checks at 1,407 hostels, canteens
Gandhinagar, Oct 13 (IANS) Gujarat authorities inspected 1,407 hostels and canteens during a statewide food safety drive, issuing improvement notices to 328 establishments, collecting samples from 459 and suspending the licences of five, the state government said on Tuesday.
The inspections were conducted by the Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) between September 14 and 28, covering 259 government, 303 semi-government and 845 private hostels and canteens.
Sixteen establishments voluntarily shut down during the drive, according to the Health and Family Welfare Department.
The figures were reviewed at a meeting in Gandhinagar chaired by Minister of State for Health, Praful Pansheriya, who discussed measures to ensure the availability of hygienic, safe and adulteration-free food during and after Navratri.
Pansheriya said mobile food testing vans would remain operational across the state during Navratri to check the quality of sweets, farsan, milk, ghee and other food items.
“The vans would test samples on the spot, and strict legal action would be taken against those found selling adulterated or substandard food,” he said.
The minister said the drive to improve food safety should continue throughout the year rather than remain confined to the festive season, emphasising the need to protect public health and ensure access to safe food.
He also urged consumers to pay attention to food safety and check the cleanliness of hotel and restaurant kitchens. “Any unhygienic conditions should be reported to the Food and Drugs Control Administration in Gandhinagar,” he said.
Pansheriya particularly commended municipal corporation teams in Surat, Ahmedabad and Vadodara for their ongoing food safety work. The review meeting was attended by the FDCA Commissioner and senior officials.
The state government said the inspections and continued monitoring were aimed at ensuring that food served at hostels and canteens met hygiene standards and that action was taken against establishments failing to comply.
–IANS
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