Food safety goes for a toss in Tirupati
A recent series of surprise inspections brought to light widespread violations, revealing, inter alia, stocking of stale and spoilt products, unsafe food handling and unhygienic practices in nondescript eateries as well as big and famed hotels and restaurants.
The inspections, led jointly by the Food Safety and Legal Metrology Departments, uncovered disturbing lapses across major commercial zones, including areas around the railway station and the bus stand. In many cases, food was found to be prepared using rotten ingredients, adulterated oils, and contaminated water, with kitchens operating in disgustingly unhygienic conditions.
Of the 2,000+ licensed food establishments in the district, 21 of those inspected were served notices under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and nearly 26 kilograms of spoilt food was confiscated and destroyed on the spot.
In one outlet, officials seized 10 kilograms of stale non-vegetarian food items, including decomposed chicken biryani and mushrooms. Several samples of grains, spices, and prepared food were picked up for lab testing.
The enforcement drive saw 18 joint teams, each comprising a Food Safety Officer and a Legal Metrology Inspector, carrying out inspections under the supervision of senior officials.
Inspections per se take place once in a blue moon due to systemic gaps.
Reported staff shortage at various levels in the Food Safety Department has hampered continual monitoring. With just three designated officers – of whom one is on long leave and another tied up with a specific case in Tirumala –inspections are few and far between. The post of Food Controller is currently being handled by an officer from Nellore.
The Legal Metrology Department found 17 restaurants flouting norms under the Legal Metrology Act 2009. Infractions ranged from use of unverified or non-standard weighing scales to overpricing bottled water and failure to display mandatory product labels.
Officials emphasised that, despite repeated warnings, many of the traders supplying various items to eateries and restaurants continue to operate without valid FSSAI licence or registration. A previous probe by the Joint Collector had resulted in imposition of penalties exceeding Rs 4.9 lakh across 20 cases involving expired goods and misleading food labelling.
Shocked by the scale of violations, the authorities have warned that enforcement will now intensify, with stiffer penalties for repeat offenders.
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