Food Safety officials begin inspections

The Food Safety Department has begun an intensive awareness and sample testing drive in view of the festival season ahead.

Four squads of food safety officials began inspections from August 22 and will continue it up to September 7 in various places in the district, according to Assistant Commissioner for Food Safety, Ernakulam, Jacob Thomas. Among the food items that find greater demand during festival times are jaggery, green gram, cereals, coconut oil, milk, pappadam, vegetables, and fruits.

Unsafe food will be confiscated and establishments functioning without licences shut down and their operators will be punished under the rules of the Food Safety Act, the official said.