Coimbatore: The food safety department issued a notice to a canteen operated in a ladies hostel in Peelamedu on Tuesday evening for violating multiple food safety norms. The authorities conducted a surprise inspection and found the hostel using rotten fruits and vegetables, reused oil and unlabelled packed food items.
The inspection follows after an inmate of the hostel fell sick due to food poisoning and had to be hospitalized.
Earlier this week a student staying at the ladies hostel in PSG Estate Colony, which houses only students of PSG Medical College, was hospitalized after she suffered ailments due to food poisoning. The remaining inmates sent a complaint to the food safety department’s WhatsApp number on Tuesday, regarding the serving of poor quality food and how students were falling sick because of it.
The department immediately acted on the complaint and sent a few officers to inspect the hostel on Tuesday evening. Officers found the canteen violating at least 10 food safety rules, including functioning without a registration certificate as a food business operator. “Other violations include keeping raw materials open, poor maintenance of kitchen, not using fresh vegetables for food preparation and even keeping the waste bin open. Some packed food items used are also unlabeled,” said a report from the department.
Officers also seized 1.2kg of rotten fruits and vegetables and appalam from the kitchen. They also seized 500ml of reused oil that they had bought. The cooks were also not wearing any safety gadgets and even a handwash or soap was not found next to the wash basin, said officials.
The department have issued a notice under Section 55(penalty for failure to comply with direction of food safety officer) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to the hostel along with recommendations to make improvements. The hostel has been ordered to rectify the issues and submit the required documents to the food safety department within seven days to avoid further action. The officials are mulling over to fine the hostel.
The public can file a complaint regarding food safety complaints on WhatsApp number 9444042322.
