Food safety officials seize 38 kg of stale food from Thoothukudi

The officials examined the food items, which were suspected to have been stored for reuse, and seized the items.

Stale food was seized during an inspection. Image used for representation.

THOOTHUKUDI: The district food safety department on Wednesday suspended the licence of a popular food joint after officials seized over 38 kg of stale food items, and destroyed them. The seized items include chicken, rice, brinjal, parotta batter, and bread halwa.

Food safety officials conducted a surprise inspection at the outlet called Anifa Biriyani, located on the Ettayapuram road, and seized 2.3 kg stale chicken, three kg mutton 1.6 kg fish, three kg rice, six kg brinjal, 2.7 kg bread halwa, 2.3 kg noodles, 15 kg chapati and parotta dough, and three kg of unsold cooked chicken from the outlet's refrigerator.

The officials examined the food items, which were suspected to have been stored for reuse, and seized the items. Those were then carried to the corporation dumpyard, where the food items were destroyed.

According to a press note, the restaurant also lacked a proper register for its employees and they were not vaccinated. Besides, the seller did not possess a FSSAI licence, a prerequisite for setting up a restaurant. Hence, the food safety licence of the franchisee, Livingsta, was suspended, and the outlet was asked not to operate until further orders, added the statement.