KOCHI: The Food Safety Department squads have been continuing with Operation Ruchi, a state-wide initiative to prevent food adulteration and to prevent excessive use of chemicals in food, in the city and suburbs.
On Friday, two squads of the department raided juice shops and bhelpuri centres in Marine Drive, High Court junction, Kaloor, MG Road and Convent junction and imposed closure notices to 15 shops.
The officials closed down eight mobile carts selling bhelpuri because of poor hygiene standards.
“Closure notices were served to wayside shops at Marine Drive and High Court junction for selling adulterated food and poor sanitation. During the inspection it was found that many of the shops were functioning without the FSSAI licence. Even the licenced shops in Corporation-owned stalls were functioning under unhygienic conditions,” said Majeed, department official who led the inspection.
The Food Safety authorities have made it clear that no bhelpuri centre would be allowed to function as most of them were operating in unhygienic conditions.
Another squad inspected eateries in Angamaly and Aluva areas. Operation Ruchi will be intensified in the coming days and raids will be conducted on vegetable shops, bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets and hypermarkets, the official said.
