Shawarma shocker spurs inspection drive in Kochi

Hotel assn has been asking govt to identify outlets without licence
Shawarma shocker spurs inspection drive in Kochi

KOCHI: The unfortunate ‘shawarma death’ of a 16-year-old girl in Kasaragod has spurred the Kochi Corporation to initiate a food inspection drive covering all restaurants and hotels under its limits. Adding to the concern was another incident reported from Kambalakkad in Wayanad on Tuesday. Eighteen members of a tourist group from Thiruvananthapuram complained of health problems after eating food from three restaurants. At least 15 of them were hospitalised . Kochi Corporation’s move is aimed at removing concerns among the public regarding the safety of food in the eateries. With hundreds of hotels operating in the city, officials said it was the responsibility of the local body to ensure all eateries functioning within its limits had the mandatory food safety licence.

“All eateries selling shawarma, especially those selling it at low prices when the price of chicken is high, will be under the radar during the drive,” said T K Ashraf, chairman of the health standing committee. “It is suspected that these eateries use low-quality meat to manage the budget. Strict actions will be taken against the offenders,” he added.

Ashraf also said the corporation carried out regular food inspections at hotels and restaurants. “However, during the pandemic, the inspections were halted for a while,” he added. Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar said inspections would be carried out based on complaints. “Conducting a mass drive based on one incident would affect the business of hotels in the city when they are gradually reviving from the setback they had faced for the past two years due to the pandemic. However, inspections would be carried out based on complaints,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) has instructed all its members to ensure proper hygiene in the food they serve. “The eatery that caused the incident was functioning without the requisite permission and was not registered with KHRA. Following the issue, all our members have been instructed to ensure the safety of the food they sell,” said association general secretary G Jayapal.

The KHRA already has a hygiene monitoring squad in each district to ensure the quality of food. “The squad conducts inspections at the hotels and restaurants registered with the association,” he said. For the past several years, the KHRA members have been requesting the state government to identify eateries that run without proper licences, according to Jayapal. “The government should either ensure that the hotels operating without licences are shut down or make them take licences complying with the food safety guidelines. The same is requested for the roadside temporary eateries across the state,” he said.

HOTEL & RESTAURANT ASSN ASKS MEMBERS TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT
The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) has instructed all its members to ensure proper hygiene in the food they serve. “The eatery that caused the incident was functioning without the requisite permission and was not registered with KHRA,” said association general secretary G Jayapal.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com