CHENNAI: Twenty-six eateries operating in the food court of Ampa Skywalk mall were sealed by the city corporation as they were found to be functioning without a license for almost two years, a Greater Chennai Corporation official said.
A notice released by the Corporation mentions that the eateries, most of which are branded, were also sealed because of a lack of hygiene.
A senior Food Safety Department official, however, claimed that it was the Food Safety department’s responsibility to ensure that eateries in the city were maintaining hygienic conditions and suggested that Chennai Corporation might have crossed its jurisdiction in sealing the eateries. Chennai Corporation, however, has cited Schedule 6 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act of 1919 which states that the outlets should have licence from the Corporation to function.
The Food Safety department officials say they receive a minimum of 10 complaints pertaining to food safety and hygiene from people in the city every week. “Some of the complaints are genuine and some of them are fake,” he said.
Based on a complaint recently the Food Safety department raided Nilgiris in Anna Nagar and seized products that were past their ‘expiration date’ worth `50,000. “The raids have been continuing every now and then,” the official said. The Food Safety department is also planning to conduct a massive campaign in June to spread awareness about food safety, the official said. Ampa Skywalk officials could not be reached for comment.
[[It is the food safety department’s responsibility to ensure that eateries in the Chennai are maintaining hygienic conditions. The corporation might have crossed its jurisdiction in sealing the eateries
— senior Food Safety Department official