Unsafe practices: fine imposed on erring hoteliers

The Collector has called for serving food in hotels and roadside eateries on banana leaves and plates made of arecanut leaves.

The Food Safety Department has registered as many as 288 cases of adopting unsafe practices while marketing food products in the district in the last five years and a fine of Rs. 36 lakh was collected from the erring hoteliers, said V. Samapth, District Collector.

The Food Safety Department has issued licence to 28,000 people for running hotels and eateries.

The people involved in this industry who have not registered their concerns with the department and not got proper licence should do the same with immediate effect, the Collector said while speaking at a meeting to create awareness on the food safety norms and the consumer rights held at the Collectorate on Friday.

The department booked 288 cases of practising unsafe food production/distribution methods. In 48 cases, a total fine of Rs. 36 lakh was slapped on the erring concerns and the penalty collected.

The Collector called upon the hoteliers, roadside eateries, tea stalls and the bakeries to shun using plastic bags, newspapers and other materials for packing food articles, as they proved harmful to the health of the consumers.

The use of newspapers for wrapping and packing food items, a common practice by street vendors, posed a health hazard.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has restricted the use of newspapers as packaging material stating that the consumption of food wrapped newspapers was injurious to health. The chemicals in newspaper ink contained harmful colours, pigments, additives and preservatives.

They should take steps for serving the food on the banana leaves and the plates made of arecanut leaves. The food items should also be packed only using the banana, arecanut and teak leaves, he said.

He warned the hoteliers with stringent action, if found violating government norms.

T. Anuradha, Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, and other officials participated in the meeting.