The Kochi Corporation has decided to extend its food raids to evenings and nights in a bid to make sure that Shawarma stalls are also included in the checks. So far most of these raids were conducted only in the day time thereby missing the inspection of Shawarma stalls.
“We used to conduct food raids in the early mornings and during the day to ensure that the stale food gets detected before it is boiled. But now we have noted that due to this we often missed the Shawarma stalls which open only in the evenings. Taking the problem into consideration, the Kochi Corporation has decided to conduct raids in the evening as well from now on,” said the Health Standing Committee Chairman, Kochi Corporation.
Following the incident in Thiruvananthapuram where one hotel management student died following suspected food poisoning after consuming Shawarmas, the Kochi Corporation carried out raids in hotels in various parts of the city on Wednesday. Two hotels selling Shawarma were shut down following the raids and others were given spot notices to improve their Shawarma stalls.
The raids were conducted at the GCDA Shopping Complex, KINCO Boat Jetty, Ernakulam North and Palarivattom. Officials from the health department said that most of the stalls were kept in unhygienic conditions. “In order to attract customers most of these Shawarma counters were kept right at the footpaths without any sort of safety covering. Due to the food gets unhygienic in a few hours,” said the Chairman of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation, T K Ashraf.
The authorities concerned state that they would not allow Shawarma counters to operate in the open, without a covering. “There are a number of health risks in allowing them to operate out in the open right next to the roads. We will not be allowing this from now on. A protective covering of some sort like a glass covering will be insisted upon,” said the Food Safety Officer, K Ajith Kumar. Officers from the Commissionerate of Food Safety have left for Bangalore to get the reports on the details of food poisoning that supposedly killed a person.
“We used to conduct food raids in the early mornings and during the day to ensure that the stale food gets detected before it is boiled. But now we have noted that due to this we often missed the Shawarma stalls which open only in the evenings. Taking the problem into consideration, the Kochi Corporation has decided to conduct raids in the evening as well from now on,” said the Health Standing Committee Chairman, Kochi Corporation.
Following the incident in Thiruvananthapuram where one hotel management student died following suspected food poisoning after consuming Shawarmas, the Kochi Corporation carried out raids in hotels in various parts of the city on Wednesday. Two hotels selling Shawarma were shut down following the raids and others were given spot notices to improve their Shawarma stalls.
The raids were conducted at the GCDA Shopping Complex, KINCO Boat Jetty, Ernakulam North and Palarivattom. Officials from the health department said that most of the stalls were kept in unhygienic conditions. “In order to attract customers most of these Shawarma counters were kept right at the footpaths without any sort of safety covering. Due to the food gets unhygienic in a few hours,” said the Chairman of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation, T K Ashraf.
The authorities concerned state that they would not allow Shawarma counters to operate in the open, without a covering. “There are a number of health risks in allowing them to operate out in the open right next to the roads. We will not be allowing this from now on. A protective covering of some sort like a glass covering will be insisted upon,” said the Food Safety Officer, K Ajith Kumar. Officers from the Commissionerate of Food Safety have left for Bangalore to get the reports on the details of food poisoning that supposedly killed a person.