Food Safety Enforcement Officer Subhankar Mohanty is now busy testing food, water and other samples from road side eateries and big hotels of the town here.
“Paris Bakery – a reputed food stall in the city was found with food materials of most unhygienic condition. We imposed Rs 10,000 fine on them,” informed the officer.
At the same time, sour water used in the Gup Chup thela were found to be ghastly contaminated, he informed.
“A food testing vehicle equipped with all modern facilities for testing of sample collected from different places have also reached from the State capital and put into action so that both businessmen and people eating purchased food could be cautioned about the food they are eating outside their respective homes,” Mohanty said.
If the food and water sample will be found contaminated, fines apart, appropriate legal action will be taken against the owners, he said. “We also checked some places where the reputed sweet stalls make sweets. Situation is horrible there,” he admitted adding that they have been warned and fine has been imposed on them.
“For time being we are also banning the sale of sugar cane juice since sugar cane are not stored properly before crushed to produce juice. Although sugar cane and its juice helps in curing jaundice, but the contaminated juice rather aggravates the disease,” he said.
When the team arrived in Sheela Towers, one of the reputed star hotels of the city, people gathered with all curiosity to see what was happening. Different food materials, jams and jelly, Chatni and water sample served to the customers were tested and found to be alright.
“Today we checked different stalls where we smelt a rat. 42 samples were collected and many of them were found unhygienic. We have collected Rs 20, 000 as fine so far and asked the errant to follow norms for serving food,” Mohanty said further.