Kolkata, Sep 7 (PTI) As part of its continuing crackdown on food safety violations, the KMC on Monday conducted raids at Bowbazar’s traditional Chhana Patti and Gariahat markets, seizing and destroying stale dairy products and frozen meat, officials said.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) enforcement and food safety teams inspected several shops at Bowbazar’s Chhana Patti and tested paneer samples using iodine solution to check their quality and detect possible adulteration, they said.
While the quality of paneer at most shops was found to be satisfactory, officials detected old and stale khoya, chhana cakes and other dairy products allegedly kept for sale.
The items were seized and destroyed, while shop owners were warned against storing or selling such products, officials said.
A shop was also served a notice for allegedly operating without the required food licence or valid food business certification.
Separately, a KMC team conducted a surprise inspection of the fish and meat sections at Gariahat market.
Fish samples were collected from different shops, sealed in the presence of the sellers and sent to a laboratory for testing, officials said.
During inspection of meat shops, officials found packets of frozen chicken and mutton without mandatory information on their production or packaging dates.
Around 10-15 kg of such frozen meat was seized and destroyed after officials found it unsuitable for sale, the officials said.
The seized meat was treated with disinfectant before being disposed of at a municipal waste vat to prevent it from being sold to consumers again.
The civic body has indicated that such food safety inspections will continue at markets across Kolkata as part of its efforts to ensure safe and hygienic food for residents.
On Sunday, KMC officials raided food courts at three prominent malls in the city to check the quality and storage conditions of food items, including frozen products.
Municipal teams also inspected several restaurants in the Bentinck Street area of central Kolkata, including a prominent Mughlai cuisine restaurant, where samples of food stored in refrigerators were collected for testing.
The operation was also conducted at continental and Bengali cuisine restaurants, where officials checked food storage practices and disposed of several items found stored in refrigerators, they said.
Similar inspections were conducted at restaurants in Salt Lake and in Malda, Barasat, Barrackpore, Bardhaman and Diamond Harbour, among other places, officials said.
There, too, the municipal officials checked the quality of raw materials and spices in the kitchens of several restaurants.
On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, KMC food safety department officials raided food stalls at Dacres Lane, Jorabagan and Lake Market areas.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has said the state government would follow a “zero tolerance” policy against dishonest business practices, including flat fraud, use of harmful colours in vegetables and fish and manipulation of weights and measurements. PTI SUS MNB
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