Personnel of the Food Safety and Standards Department inspecting a restaurant during a drive to enforce the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Act, in Mysuru on Friday, August 30.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM
A two-day campaign to check food safety violations in hotels and restaurants launched in the city by the Food Safety and Standards Department under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare commenced on Friday, August 30, and by evening, lapses were found in at least 16 eateries and restaurants that were inspected.
The drive is being held to enforce the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act 2006 and will cover as many eateries and hotels as possible within the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) limits.
S.L. Ravindra, Designated Officer for Mysuru City, said the objective is to ensure and enforce hygiene and cleanliness at eateries and restaurants. Of the 22 hotels and street vendors that were inspected till late in the evening, 16 of them, all near the Mysuru Zoo, were found to be violating one aspect of the law or the other.
A majority of them were found to be operating without renewing their licenses which had expired while there were cases of ingredients past their shelf life or expiry date, being used for making tea etc., said Mr. Ravindra.
On finding violations and lapses, a fine of ₹33,000 was imposed though there were no cases that warranted cancellation of licenses due to lack of hygiene.
The team led by Mr. Ravindra comprised three food safety officers including Mr. Girish, Mr. Rajesh, and Ms. Dakshayani. After inspecting the eateries near the zoo, hotels on Nelson Mandela Road, Kalidasa Road, and Vijayanagar were checked for violations if any, of the food safety act and the provisions of FSSAI.
Apart from counselling the owners of eateries on how to resolve the violations and comply with the regulations, the inspecting team distributed handouts and literature highlighting various provisions of the law that need to be adhered to by the hotel and eatery owners. They were also apprised of the hefty fines that could be levied under different sections of the law.
But more than imposing fines, the objective was to reinforce the imperatives of complying with the FSSAI norms as it has a bearing on the public health, said Mr. Ravindra.
