The Food Safety Department has stepped up vigil over Arabian food joints in the city. The move comes in the wake of an incident reported last week in which eight persons fell sick and were admitted to various hospitals after they consumed an Arabian dish from an outlet near Edappally junction.
“We have slapped a fine of ₹10,000 on the food joint. Samples collected from the outlet have been sent to the Regional Laboratory at Kakkanad for further examination. The Department will initiate criminal proceedings based on the Food Safety Act if the tests reveal that the food was unsafe for consumption,” said K.V. Shibu, Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, Ernakulam.
A similar incident was reported from an Arabic food joint along the Kaloor-Kathrikadavu stretch in October last year, found operating in unhygienic surroundings. Stale food items were found inside the refrigerator. The Food Safety officials said the stale dishes would either have been sold or removed from the outlets by the time the customers started experiencing health problems including vomiting and diarrhoea. Such complaints were reported mostly from outlets selling non-vegetarian dishes as chances of traders storing meat in refrigerator for a long period were high.
Surprise checks
Food Safety officers under the Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety in Ernakulam are expected to hold surprise checks at food outlets to check violations under the Food Safety Act. Random sampling of food items will also be carried out as part of the drive.
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