Srinagar, Aug. 7 -- That meat was only hours away from reaching dinner tables across the valley.

Behind every packet of spoiled meat is a system failing to do its job. What was meant to be cooked and served in restaurants, street stalls and hotel kitchens was instead found reeking of disease.

Beyond expired food, it was a public health emergency disguised as dinner.

Thankfully, the Food Safety Department and activist Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat acted swiftly and stopped a potential disaster. But the fact that such large quantities of rotten meat made it this far tells us that the real threat isn't just what's on our plates. It's what's happening behind closed doors.

How many more such consignments have gone unnoticed? How often have we eat...