Quality check drive’s first phase concludes

Kozhikode: The first phase of the quality-check drive conducted by the district food safety department covering a total of 169 bakeries, cake and wine manufacturing units in Kozhikode district concluded here on Monday.

The drive aims to ensure that customers of Christmas and New Year festival season get quality food items.

The food safety department had detected 84 establishments with anomalies and has issued them with notices for violating norms of Food Safety and Standard Act and for functioning illegally without a proper license. 

The food safety officials have collected a fine to the tune of Rs 1.87 lakh in various categories during the inspection. The inspection was conducted dividing the district into three zones of Kozhikode, Vadakara and Thamarassery taluks. 

The inspection was conducted under the leadership of the food safety officer. The officials have also collected two statutory samples and seven surveillance samples during the drive. 

The food safety department also shut down two bakeries, one at Puthiyapalam and the deluxe bakery unit in front of new bus stand for functioning in unhygienic conditions.

The food safety commissioner has directed the two units to take up rectification of detected anomalies to reopen it. The department is also taking up the complaints and tip offs provided to it by the public through its toll-free number: 18004251125. 

The public can also report the complaints to its landline number: 0495-2720744.

Food safety assistant commissioner P K Aleyamma said that the first phase drive concluded here on Monday. “The second phase drive will commence on December 24 and it will be concluded on December 31. We have decided to take stern action during the second phase drive and file adjudication cases against repeat offenders. No leniency will be given to them,’’ said Aleyamma. “We have also received eight complaints from the public about the quality of the food items and the department has initiated an inquiry into it. The public can also submit the complaints in person or over the phone,” said the assistant food safety commissioner.