68 eateries fined and 6 hotels closed in this city; here’s why

Eating out is an experience to break the monotony of a normal lifestyle. But what if this dining experience turns out to be a nightmare resulting in food poisoning and food borne illnesses? To counter this, the Food Safety Department is organizing various drives in different cities and this is what happened recently in Kochi. Scroll down to read the details.


According to reports, 68 eateries across 14 constituencies in Ernakulam district have been fined and six hotels have been closed by the Food Safety Department following a two-day special drive.

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This was done during the statewide inspection drive called Operation Life in Kochi on the orders of Health Minister Veena George. The aim of this drive is to ensure that no food safety rules are violated in hotels and eateries and to warn and take action against establishments that do not adhere to the rules.


According to official statements, as many as 387 eateries were inspected by 14 teams. About 68 eateries were fined and six were closed. And about 93 eateries were issued a rectification notice with improper cleanliness and hygiene.
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The officials also imposed fines of Rs 1.8 lakh on erring vendors. During the inspection, the officials also found expired food items, spices and milk used to prepare food in some hotels. If reports are to be believed, apart from old food items, especially al-faham, they also found old chicken, unlabelled spices, 236 packets of expired milk, fresh cream and chutney and grapes which can cause food poisoning.


Health Minister Veena George has urged employees of companies that prepare, distribute and sell food to apply for health cards within four weeks.

What do you think of this move by the Minister of Health? Share your thoughts in the comments.