Food Safety Officers raid fish stalls

Food Safety Officers on Thursday raided fish stalls in the city following complaints over the quality of fishes being sold.

A team led by Designated Officer of Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing), R. Kathiravan and comprising Food Safety Officers K. Chandran, M. Venkatesh, S.R. Gerald and R. Govindarajan inspected all three fish stalls on 100 Feet Road.

In the first instance at a fish stall, fishes were displayed in the open and the stocks were kept in boxes filled with blocks of ice. The rotten fishes, instead of being disposed of, were kept adjacent to the main stocks. There was no demarcation of different types of fishes and no running water to clean them before selling.

“We will issue notice to the shop directing it to rectify the deficiencies in three weeks. The rotten fish stocks were seized and destroyed,” Mr. Kathiravan said.

The second fish stall was found to conform to most of the norms. The officials directed them to rectify the other few problems found. The third stall operated near Powerhouse by Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation was the only one to conform to all norms. Such raids on fish stalls would continue, Mr. Kathiravan said.