Food safety officials seize stale meat from restaurants in Salem

FDA raids 54 restaurants in Salem, seizes 200 kg stale chicken and other cooked food items. 18 restaurants found violating rules; 21 kg fried rice, 10 kg biryani, 5.3 kg mayonnaise, 800 g artificial colours, 8 kg masala, 4 kg banned plastic seized. Notices served to restaurant owners; inspection to continue.

 Food Safety and Drug Administration Department officials raided 54 restaurants and seized 200 kg of stale chicken and other cooked and stored food items here on Wednesday. 

Following the death of a 14-year-old school girl in Namakkal district after consumption of shawarma, officials began inspecting restaurants to check the quality of marinated meat items from Tuesday. On Wednesday, officials inspected restaurants in Attur, Omalur, Mettur, Thalaivasal and AVR Roundabout and Seelanaickenpatti areas. Officials found violations in 18 restaurants. 

The teams seized 21 kg of fried rice, 10 kg of artificially flavoured chicken biryani, 5.3 kg of mayonnaise, 800 grams of artificial colours, eight kg of prepared masala and four kg of banned plastic items. All the items were seized and notices were served to restaurant owners. 

R. Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Food Safety Department, said inspection would continue across the district in the coming days and warned that action would be taken against the violators.