Safe food to be ensured during Onam season in Kerala

Inspections by the Food Safety department would be intensified during the Onam season so that safe and hygienic food is ensured for the public, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has said

The Food Safety department has begun an intensive drive from July 27 and so far, over 5,000 checks have been conducted across the State. Notices have been issued to 705 food business operators for violation of Food Safety and Standards Act, while fines have been slapped on over 390 food outlets.

Special attention is given to the quality of food items widely used during Onam, such as papadam, jaggery, coconut oil, and ghee. Food Safety squads are specifically checking the label information on these products, including the manufacturing and expiry dates, batch numbers, license details, declaration of ingredients, and whether all statutory labelling norms are being complied with.

Samples of raw materials such as jaggery, coconut oil, and ghee are being collected and sent to laboratories for quality testing. Inspections have also been intensified at hotels, restaurants, catering establishments, and cloud kitchens.

Food Safety wing is also zeroing in on food business operators enterprises distributing Onam sadya and other food packets through online platforms, to ensure that they also comply with all FSSAI norms.

The focus is on ensuring hygiene, temperature control, use of safe raw materials, proper labelling of food, packing, storage, and distribution. Alongside this, inspections at the distribution centres of online purchasing platforms will be strengthened.

The quality of raw materials and packaged food items stored at these centres, storage conditions, the presence of expired or spoiled products, labelling, and batch details are being specifically checked.

The Food Safety wing is also organising awareness classes on food safety across the State during the Onam season for hotel and catering establishment operators, bakery owners, and other food entrepreneurs, under the “Eat Right Keralam – Safe Onam” initiative, as part of ensuring food safety during the festival season.

Training and awareness programmes on food safety and hygiene standards to be followed while preparing, handling, storing, and distributing food to the public is being focussed on.