The Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s food safety department inspected 17 restaurants and sweet shops across several city areas ahead of Durga Puja, collecting six food samples, issuing 13 notices and removing approximately 250 kg of food for disposal, according to a report by Sanmarg – Kolkata.
The pre-Puja campaign was conducted to check compliance with food safety standards and ensure that food sold to the public during the festival met requirements for safety, hygiene and quality. Teams operated in areas linked to Boroughs V, VI and VII, including locations around KMC headquarters and Ward 46.
The six surveillance samples collected during the inspections included laddoo, fish fry, boiled potatoes, marinated chicken and chicken kathi kebab. The KMC’s designated officer directly supervised the inspections, the report said.
Eleven notices were issued under Section 38 of the Food Safety and Standards Act. The civic teams also removed and destroyed around 250 kg of different food items during the inspections. The report did not identify the specific food products that were destroyed or state whether laboratory results for the collected samples had been released.
Food business operators were instructed to use only packaged raw food products carrying the prescribed Food Safety and Standards Authority of India label. They were also told to place date tags on raw and semi-prepared food kept in refrigerators, display valid FSSAI licences prominently and preserve bills, invoices and other purchase records.
The operators were further directed to keep all cooked and semi-prepared food intended for human consumption covered. These requirements place responsibility not only on kitchens and food outlets but also on their systems for procurement, storage, traceability and handling during a period of increased demand.
A separate inspection was conducted in Hatibagan and Hedua under Borough II. The KMC campaign covered restaurants and food establishments including Basanta Cabin, Blossom, Mushroom, Fatso’s, Poopie’s Fast Food, Capri, Adiraj Ice and Cakes, Adiraj Momo, Dipshikha, Calcutta Hindu Hotel, Cinnamon Cafe and Coffee Day Global Limited.
Two notices were issued under Section 38 during the Borough II inspections, and one refrain notice was served. The inspection list also included the names Ryan Mallik and Sanjay Mallik in connection with Fatso’s.
The campaign gives the civic body a mechanism to check food handling before the festival brings larger crowds to restaurants, sweet shops and temporary food businesses. The immediate enforcement actions reported by KMC were the collection of surveillance samples, issuance of statutory notices, disposal of food and directions on labelling, refrigeration, licensing and covering prepared items.
