Food safety officials destroy 18 kg meat in Erode

Food safety officials destroy 18 kg meat in Erode

Officials from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department seized 18 kg of cooked meat stored in refrigerators at non-vegetarian restaurants and destroyed it on Friday.

A team led by District Designated Officer J. Thanga Vignesh, along with food safety officers Kesavaraj, Selvan, Arun Kumar, and Satheesh Kumar, inspected more than 10 biryani shops and non-vegetarian restaurants in the city on Thursday and Friday. The team found 18 kg of cooked meat stored in refrigerators at two restaurants and destroyed it using phenyl. Notices were issued to the establishments, requesting explanations. Additionally, food samples were collected and sent for analysis.

Officials said that while raw meat could be stored in refrigerators, cooked meat should not be. Two restaurants were also fined ₹3,000 each for maintaining unhygienic kitchens.

Mr. Thanga Vignesh said inspections were being conducted across the district at non-vegetarian restaurants. He warned that strict action would be taken against establishments found guilty of poor hygiene, storing old meat, using artificial food colours, adding flavour enhancers like ajinomoto, or preparing food with substandard ingredients.

The public can report food-related complaints by calling 94440 42322 or using the Food Safety Department’s consumer app, he added.