COIMBATORE: While the hygiene at road side eateries has always been suspect, one would assume that the use of substandard or decaying meat is not a compromise that these small eateries indulge in. Unfortunately, food safety officials in Tiurpur and Coimbatore districts made a shocking discovery recently when they went on a quality control drive.
This hazardous practice was first unearthed by food safety officials of Tirupur district a few months ago when they seized a whopping 500 kg consignment of dead chicken. "Following this seizure, we intensified the quality control drive across the district and for now we have managed to curb the dead stock being sold to eateries," said Dr. O L S Vijay, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration department, Tirupur district.
According to the official, ever since the department started intensifying the drive against poor quality meat, roadside eateries started disappearing mysteriously. "This makes us suspect that many of these road side eateries thrive on dead stock," said Dr Vijay.
On the modus operandi of the gang that was involved in this business, the official said that dead stock disposed off by poultry farms were picked up by this gang and sold at cheaper rates to roadside eateries. Enquiries with police revealed that most of the accused remanded in this connection were released on bail later.
Following this, Tirupur district collector G Govindaraj ordered the poultry farms not to dispose off their dead stock in the open but to bury the wastes in their own premises. "A similar incident was also reported near Annur recently after a youth was caught red-handed for possessing dead chickens," Dr Vijay said. Local police say that the youth fled the scene immediately leaving his bike and a complaint was given to the police by the Village Administrative Officer. It is suspected that the dead stock was meant for supply to roadside eateries in Annur.
While unhygienic roadside eateries that are mushrooming in many areas remain a challenge to public health, the issue of dead stock used for chicken preparations has aggravated the problem. Dr.R Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration department, Coimbatore district, said that officials are alerted in Coimbatore after the issue was unearthed by their Tirupur counterparts. "It is not possible to ascertain whether the meat available at roadside eateries are from dead stock or not," he said. There is a strong suspicion they use poor quality meat because of the low cost of their dishes, he added.
This hazardous practice was first unearthed by food safety officials of Tirupur district a few months ago when they seized a whopping 500 kg consignment of dead chicken. "Following this seizure, we intensified the quality control drive across the district and for now we have managed to curb the dead stock being sold to eateries," said Dr. O L S Vijay, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration department, Tirupur district.
According to the official, ever since the department started intensifying the drive against poor quality meat, roadside eateries started disappearing mysteriously. "This makes us suspect that many of these road side eateries thrive on dead stock," said Dr Vijay.
On the modus operandi of the gang that was involved in this business, the official said that dead stock disposed off by poultry farms were picked up by this gang and sold at cheaper rates to roadside eateries. Enquiries with police revealed that most of the accused remanded in this connection were released on bail later.
Following this, Tirupur district collector G Govindaraj ordered the poultry farms not to dispose off their dead stock in the open but to bury the wastes in their own premises. "A similar incident was also reported near Annur recently after a youth was caught red-handed for possessing dead chickens," Dr Vijay said. Local police say that the youth fled the scene immediately leaving his bike and a complaint was given to the police by the Village Administrative Officer. It is suspected that the dead stock was meant for supply to roadside eateries in Annur.
While unhygienic roadside eateries that are mushrooming in many areas remain a challenge to public health, the issue of dead stock used for chicken preparations has aggravated the problem. Dr.R Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration department, Coimbatore district, said that officials are alerted in Coimbatore after the issue was unearthed by their Tirupur counterparts. "It is not possible to ascertain whether the meat available at roadside eateries are from dead stock or not," he said. There is a strong suspicion they use poor quality meat because of the low cost of their dishes, he added.
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