4,000 rotten eggs destroyed in Salem

District Designated Officer, Food Safety Department, T. Anuradha inspecting eggs which were transported in a vehicle from Namakkal to Salem, at Seelanaickenpatti in Salem on Tuesday

Notices issued to traders, bakery owners, poultry unit owners

About 4,000 rotten and broken eggs being transported from Namakkal to Salem city were seized and destroyed by the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department officials in the city on Tuesday.

The representatives of Egg Traders’ Association of Salem city sometime ago brought to the notice of T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, the arrival of rotten eggs from Namakkal district. They were being supplied to the roadside eateries, night stalls and bakeries functioning in the city. All the efforts taken by the association to check the transportation of rotten eggs went in vain.

Ms. Anuradha sought the cooperation of the association members in identifying the vehicles transporting the rotten eggs. As such, association members spotted three vehicles transporting rotten eggs at Seelanaickenpatti in the city on Tuesday morning and informed the Food Safety officials.

Ms. Anuradha and the team rushed to the spot. While two of the vehicles managed to give a slip, the officials inspected the third vehicle which was transporting about 4,000 rotten and broken eggs worth Rs. 6,000 from Buthansanthai in Namakkal district.

As the rotten eggs contained bacteria and were not fit for consumption, all the eggs were seized and destroyed instantly.

The officials issued notice to the egg trader, who was travelling in the vehicle, and the driver. Notices were also issued to the poultry unit owners of Buthansanthai too.

Later, the officials spotted one of the vehicles, which gave a slip, in front of a bakery at Poosaripatti. The vehicle was unloading the rotten egg stock.

The officials seized about 200 eggs and destroyed them. Notices were issued to the egg trader and also the bakery owner.

Ms. Anuradha later told The Hindu that stringent action would be taken under the Food Safety Act against those involved if they continued to indulge in marketing and purchase of rotten eggs, which posed serious health problem to people.