With cakes in huge demand ahead of Christmas and New Year, the Food Safety Commissionerate has issued strict guidelines to cake making units.
Squads raid 169 outlets, collect ₹1.87 lakh in fine; notices served on 84 units
The Commissionerate of Food Safety, as part of the Aardram public campaign, has stepped up vigil against supply of adulterated and contaminated food by cake-making units and bakeries during Christmas and New Year seasons.
At the end of the first phase of inspections on Monday, the three food safety squads in the district collected ₹1.87 lakh in fine from various establishments.
Over the last few days, the squads conducted inspections at 169 outlets and served notices on 84 of them for either violation food safety norms or failure to produce licences. Two statutory samples and seven surveillance samples have been sent to the Regional Analytical Laboratory for further examination.
While two bakeries in Kozhikode were temporarily shut down, a few other establishments that were served notices were advised to rectify their mistakes. The proprietors were directed to report at the Office of the Food Safety Assistant Commissioner in two days.
The second round of inspections will begin on Tuesday. Strict action, including adjudication cases, will be taken based on the Food Safety and Standards Act against establishments found repeating mistakes, Food Safety Assistant Commissioner P.K. Aleyamma said.
The commissionerate has acted upon as many as eight complaints from the public under the Aardram campaign. Complaints can be filed through the toll-free number 18004251125 or the district office number 04952-720744
In a circular issued earlier, the commissionerate had directed operators to obtain food safety licence before venturing into cake making during the season. Even temporary units need licence. Besides, the quality of water used by cake-making units should be ascertained through testing. The commissionerate had insisted that employees should be medically fit, and that the premises of units should be kept clean. According to the circular, raw materials should be legally labelled.
The commissionerate had also advised against use of artificial colours, vanaspathi, and packing of food in printed paper.
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