Surprise raids: Special squads to be formed

A review meeting of food safety officers in the state was held here on Saturday, in which it was decided to form special squads in all districts to carry out surprise raids on hotels including bars, in view of the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The meeting, which was presided over by Rajeev Sadanandan, secretary, Health Department directed the food safety officers to take samples of vegetables, fruits coming from other states, to check whether there were chemical residues in these items.

Also, the squads would take samples of meat and fish to ascertain whether they were stored at the proper temperature.

Special direction would also be given to all the hotels in the state to keep a record of all the raw materials used in the hotel and the health certificate of the employees also should be maintained.

Action will be initiated against those hotel owners who violates this.

The meeting also decided to carry out raids on hotels and restaurants to which Food Safety Department earlier served notices for lack of cleanliness.

Licences would be made mandatory for all tanker lorries that are supplying drinking water in the state. Other decisions also include carrying out surprise checks to book those private catering services operating without licences.

Food Safety Commissioner Biju Prabhakar said that the meeting also decided to come with criteria to introduce the grading systems in hotels, which would be submitted to the State Government to enact it to law.