15 eateries closed down

Violation of food safety standards detected

Officials of the Food Safety Commissionerate have shut down 15 eateries functioning close to the Secretariat and the legislators’ hostel on charges of violation of food safety standards.

Ten special squads conducted raids on 60 restaurants and found many establishments to have flouted basic hygiene standards that had been prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The eateries that were found to have functioned without the requisite licence and also failed to ensure the quality norms included the Hotel Chirag Inn, Trivandrum Cafeteria, Hotel Casamia, Jithu Joji eatery and Deepa Hotel at Palayam, an eatery at Vanross Junction, and the Housing Board canteen.

Besides, the squads also found some other restaurants, including Hotel Aroma Classic at Vanross Junction, Gulan Fast Food at Palayam, Hotel Teekay International, Hotel Arul Jyothi at Statue, Hotel Zam Zam at Palayam, KeralaUniversity Library canteen, Kuttanad Restaurant (near AKG Centre) and another outlet that sold meals at Vanross Junction had maintained low standards of hygiene. These restaurants were ordered to be closed down with immediate effect. A total fine of ₹3,42,500 was also collected by the squads from 10 eateries for non-compliance with the prescribed norms.