Pre-monsoon food safety checks from May 2

Pre-monsoon food safety inspections will be held for a month beginning Friday (May 2) as part of Operation Life, Minister for Health Veena George said on Tuesday.

Strict action will be taken against those adulterating food, the Minister said.

Steps will be initiated by the Food Safety department as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and by the Health department as per the Kerala Public Health Act, 2023. Eateries should serve safe food as per food safety guidelines, the Minister said in a statement.

Special attention

Special attention should be given to food as it could get spoilt fast in summer. Food that smelt or tasted different should not be consumed. Parcels should specify clearly the use by date and time. Health cards were mandatory for staff at eateries.

Surprise inspections would be held at eateries, fish and meat stalls, markets, and check-posts. Inspections would also be conducted at old-age homes, child care institutions, and other homes.

All food entrepreneurs should have food safety registration or licence. Stringent action would be taken in case of violations.

Inspections would also be held across the State to ensure the safety of cool drinks and bottled water. Checks would be held at ice cream manufacturing facilities, bottled water manufacturing and distribution centres, and any sales centres in tourist areas. Shop owners selling cool drinks should ensure the safety of water used to make the drinks and the ice used. Drinking water in hotels and water added to chutneys and buttermilk should be safe.

In safe manner

Drinking water and cool drinks should not be stored in the sun in shops or transported in open vehicles. Ice creams, cool drinks, bottled water, and ice candy sold at fairs and such events should be sold in a safe manner.

Food safety officers would conduct the inspections under the coordination of the Commissioner of Food Safety. The State task force team would take part in the checks. Mobile food safety labs would also be deployed.