Pile of filth found in mall-restaurant, 38 teams searched 52 establishments
Lucknow: Under the ‘Shuddh Hi Shubh Hai’ campaign being run to ensure the quality and cleanliness of food items in Uttar Pradesh, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has taken major action. On Monday, a special campaign was conducted in five districts of the state including Kanpur and malls, restaurants and food establishments were inspected. A total of 38 teams conducted raids in different areas and inspected 52 establishments. During the investigation, serious shortcomings regarding cleanliness and food safety standards were revealed at many places.
During the special campaign, officials took stock of the kitchens, storage areas, food storage arrangements and cleanliness of the establishments. After dirt was found at many places, instructions were given to the concerned operators to improve the system. The officials also collected samples of different ingredients to check the quality of the food items. These will be sent to the laboratory for testing.
Instructions have been given by the state government to take action against food adulteration and those preparing food in unhygienic conditions. Under this, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department formed teams in different districts and conducted a simultaneous investigation campaign. Its objective was to find out whether hotels, restaurants, food outlets operating in malls and other food establishments are following the prescribed safety and hygiene standards.
In Kanpur also, a team of officers reached many establishments and investigated. The sudden action created a stir among food traders. The officials examined points like the condition of the places where food is prepared, the cleanliness of the employees, the arrangement for storing raw and prepared food items and the condition of the water used.
During investigation, adequate cleanliness was not found in the kitchen and food storage areas at some places. Officials expressed displeasure over dirt found around food items and deficiencies in maintenance. The concerned establishments were instructed to follow food safety rules and rectify the deficiencies immediately.
According to the rules related to food safety, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the establishments preparing and serving food items. There should be proper arrangement for storage of utensils, equipment and food items used in the kitchen. Along with keeping raw and finished ingredients separate, it is also the responsibility of the establishment operator to protect the food items from contamination.
During the operation the officials also checked the documents related to license and registration of the establishments. As per rules, license or registration is necessary for establishments doing food business. Along with this, food safety related guidelines have to be followed in the establishment. Based on the shortcomings revealed during the investigation, the concerned establishments may have to face notices and other departmental action.
The team of officials also paid special attention to the quality of food items. Samples of food items were taken from many places. After laboratory testing of these samples, it will be clear whether the concerned food material meets the prescribed quality standards or not. If the sample is found unsafe or contrary to standards in the test report, further action can be taken under the Food Safety Act.
The objective of the ‘Shuddh Hi Shubh Hai’ campaign is to provide safe and quality food items to the consumers. Complaints of adulteration also come to the fore when demand for sweets, milk, cheese, ghee, oil and other food items increases during festivals and special occasions. For this reason, the department conducts special campaigns from time to time to inspect food establishments.
This time the scope of the campaign was not limited to checking adulteration in food items only. Special attention was also paid to the cleanliness of malls and restaurants. Even if the quality of any food item is good, if it is prepared or stored in a dirty environment, there is a risk of its contamination. In such a situation, cleanliness is equally important for food safety.
Customers eating in restaurants usually only see the food served, without being aware of the condition of the kitchen and the maintenance of the ingredients behind it. The purpose of departmental inspection is to check this system. Officials instructed establishment operators to maintain regular cleanliness in the kitchen and storage areas and to keep food items safely.
After the action of the Food Safety Department, further monitoring can also be done on those establishments where deficiencies have been found. In case of receiving notice, the operators will have to make improvements within the stipulated time. If serious violations are found, fines or other legal action are also possible under the Food Safety Act.
The investigation of 52 establishments by 38 teams simultaneously in five districts of the state has clearly indicated that negligence in food safety and hygiene standards is being taken seriously. In the coming days, the scope of the campaign can be extended to other areas also. The emphasis of the officials is that the food served to the customers should not only be better in taste and quality, but the entire process from preparation to serving should be hygienic and safe.
At present, the laboratory reports of the establishments from where samples have been taken are awaited. After the report comes, if any violation of rules is found, further action will be taken against the concerned establishments. Mall and Restaurant