Kolkata, Sept. 4 -- Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) teams on Friday found serious food safety violations during raids on several prominent eateries on Park Street as part of the Special Food Safety Week drive. As many as 2,337 food establishments have been inspected across Bengal so far.
The inspections, conducted from September 1 to 3, found major irregularities at 2,056 establishments. Corrective action was suggested in 2,039 cases and 1,277 food samples were collected for analysis.
Sale of food items was prohibited at 16 establishments, while five licences or registrations were cancelled or suspended. Seventeen establishments were closed or sealed, and proceedings were initiated against 17 others.
On Park Street, Friday's inspections uncovered rotten meat stored in refrigerators, expired cooking oil, fungus-infested potatoes and baby corn, and spoiled chhana being used to make sweets at different establishments. Several kitchens were found to be operating in unhygienic conditions.
The inspections covered Chinese and Continental restaurants and a renowned pizza chain. Some establishments, however, were found compliant with food safety standards.
The drive also covered Tangra, where Thursday's inspections revealed several irregularities.
A restaurant in Sonarpur was also shut, while expired ingredients were found at sweet shops and an ice-cream outlet.
In Bagdah, a joint raid at a sweet shop found fungus in curd, an unhygienic kitchen and potentially harmful colours being used in sweets. The ingredients were discarded.
Health minister Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay said the closures were temporary and establishments could reopen after clearing food safety and hygiene inspections.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.