The raids carried out by food inspectors in the districts of Kozhikode and Thiruvanant-hapuram in various eateries during the last 24 hours has sent shocking findings. The officials seized 150 kg stale and non-consumable meat from various shops in Thiruvananthapuram meant to be served as shavarma and Arabian food items.
In Thiruvananthapuram, a lady was aghast to see carcass of a snake in a plate of parotha and beef ordered by her from Hotel Shalimar, a popular eatery in the city suburbs. The raids were a fall out of her complaint. “The less we speak about the situation in Kasaragod, Kannur and Kozhikode, the better,” said a food inspector working in Northern Kerala. The food inspection department is handicapped by severe shortage of staff while the inspectors are supposedto examine the food being served. “We do not have the mandate to seize the food as that responsibility lies with food inspectors. Moreover, the department of food safety does not have modern gadgets to analyze the quality of foods seized from the eateries,” said an inspector in the capital city.
The controversy over the quality of food served in the eateries eruoted on Friday with the death of a 16-year-old school girl at Kasaragod who succumbed to food poisoning following consumption of shavarma. More than 50 children are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the district for food poisoning.
Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association General Secretary G Jayapal, said that the shortcomings were due to the absence of a food policy in the State. “We have been requesting the Government not to allow functioning of unauthorized eateries in the State. But the Government remains indifferent to this plea,” said Jayapal. There are more unauthorized eateries than those with licenses, he said. He also pointed out the grey areas in the law which does not allow sale of old foods. “But the eateries could store the left overs of the day in a freezer or refrigerator. The shavarma and Chinese food sold by these eateries are not made as per the standards prescribed by the food department. There is a difference in the style of cooking in Arab countries, China and in India. These issues have not been taken into account till date,” said Jayapal.
The quality of food served even in eateries with license need a lot of improvement, said Sujith Attassery, a renowned chef. Travelers planning to visit Kerala are advised to be vigilant about the kind of food they consume, warns Dr Madhu, a Government physician.