Kolkata, Sep 2 (PTI) The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has seized around 500 kg of fish and meat allegedly stored in unhygienic conditions at a popular Chinese restaurant in the Tangra area ahead of the festive season, officials said on Wednesday.
The civic team found large quantities of meat and fish kept in refrigerators without proper labelling or dates indicating when the items had been stored, they said.
According to the officials, the food items were found lying in an unhygienic and open environment inside the refrigerators. Considering the potential health risk, particularly ahead of the festive season when restaurants witness a surge in customers, the seized stock was sent for disposal, they said.
The inspection is part of a wider drive by the state Food and Supplies department and local civic bodies to check the quality of food served at hotels, restaurants and other eateries.
The inspections have intensified following directions from the state government to take strict action against establishments found violating food safety and hygiene norms.
On Tuesday, raids at several restaurants in Baduria and Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district had reportedly led to the recovery of stale and allegedly rotten meat. Similar inspections have also been carried out in areas including Salt Lake, Shaktigarh and Digha in various districts.
In north Bengal, the authorities also conducted surprise inspections at several resorts in Lataguri near the Gorumara National Park on Wednesday.
A team led by the Sub-Divisional Officer inspected kitchens and food storage areas at several resorts and found expired and allegedly spoiled food items at some establishments, officials said. Three resorts were issued warnings over violations.
In Hooghly district, a bakery in Bhadreswar was shut after officials found serious hygiene violations during an inspection.
The bakery was allegedly operating in an unhygienic environment, with flies around the area where bread was being prepared. Workers were also found without gloves, while dirt and grime had accumulated on the walls and ceiling, officials said.
The authorities directed the bakery to undertake a complete cleaning before it could resume operations.
A popular sweet shop and its manufacturing unit in the area were also inspected, with officials reportedly finding hygiene-related irregularities there.
Officials said establishments found violating food safety norms would face action, while the campaign would continue across the state.
The seizure of large quantities of allegedly stale food has also brought back memories of the scandal a few years ago when meat sourced from dumping grounds was supplied to eateries and markets. PTI PNT NN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.