Kozhikode: Health and food safety officials have decided to commence a special drive to check the juice and soft drinks outlets that have sprang up on roadsides in the summer. The health department has directed the local self-government bodies to conduct a special drive covering makeshift juice outlets in the wake of spike in hepatitis A and diarrhoea cases.
The health department has also directed the public to keep vigil while consuming fresh juice items and soft drinks from cool bars and wayside juice shops. The direction was given after observing the number of temporary juice stalls selling bottled water, lemon juice, ‘sambaram’ (spiced butter milk), sugarcane juice and ‘kulukki sarbat’ are on the rise in the district.
Not only the local self-government bodies, but the food safety department too has commenced inspections covering eateries across the district. The food safety officials, during the inspections, are directing eatery outlet owners to replace block ice with cube ice to ensure that the ice using for the preparation of juice and soft drinks is free from contamination. Consumption of contaminated water and juice results in waterborne diseases such as hepatitis A and diarrhoea.
According to the health department officials, 27 Hepatitis A cases have been reported from various parts of the district from January 1 to March 23, 2019. A total of 12,469 diarrhoea cases and one death have been reported from various parts of the district from January 1 to March 23, 2019. As many as 144 Hepatitis A cases, 52,415 diarrhoea cases and one death were reported in 2018.
Dr Ashadevi, additional district medical officer (public health), said that consumption of juice and soft drinks made of contaminated water is one of the major causes for the increase in number of hepatitis A and diarrhoea cases in the district. “Public should be very cautious when they consume fresh juice from wayside makeshift eatery outlets and the shop owners should use only good quality ice for the preparation of such items,” said the ADMO adding that ensuring personal hygiene is the best available option to keep away from water-borne diseases.
Corporation health officer Dr R S Gopakumar said that the civic body has already issued instructions to licenced cool bars and shops to make use of cube ice and safe drinking water to prepare juice items and soft drinks. “The special drive covering ice-manufacturing factories and units and wayside juice shops will commence on April 1,” he said.
Meanwhile, P K Eliyamma, assistant commissioner, food safety, Kozhikode, said that the drive to inspect ice manufacturing outlets will commence next month.
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