Food safety squads intensify crackdown on unhygienic snack production

Responding to public complaints against the wholesale production and distribution of low-quality snacks, Food Safety squads have launched an intensified check to expose manufacturers who water down food safety standards and hygiene rules. In one of the recent raids, four such suspected units were shut down in Kozhikode city, while notices were served on many others.

The squad members said legal action was taken against suspected units that supplied low-quality snacks, produced in an unhygienic ambience, to major hotels in Kozhikode. An early morning inspection found that they were using contaminated water and low-quality edible oil for cooking in an unhygienic ambience, officials said.

There was reportedly an increase in the number of local snack production units eying the Ramzan market. Many hoteliers and wayside eateries were depending on the supply of such units. The major reason for purchasing from such units was the low price compared to that of other manufacturers.

“With the entry of more wholesale suppliers in the snacks business, genuine entrepreneurs, including women, involved in home-made snack productions, have been going through a crisis. The latest move by the Food safety squad will definitely help the fair traders in the sector,” said N. Raseena, a food-based entrepreneur from Karaparamba. She said there should be efforts to shut down all unlicensed units, which spoil the revenue of genuine entrepreneurs in the sector.

During the recent inspections, the Food safety squads found that the majority of the unhygienic units were working in the midnight hours to complete the distribution early in the morning. As none of them was found labelling their food items, it was remaining difficult to trace the source, they said.

In 2024, Kozhikode district recorded the highest number of cases related to food adulteration in Kerala. In the samples collected and sent for the detailed lab inspection from various spots, it was found that jaggery was one of the most adulterated food items. There were altogether 282 cases, including 137 prosecution cases filed at the Judicial First Class Magistrate Courts and 145 adjudication cases at the Revenue Divisional Offices.

Last year, the special squads conducted 14,363 inspections in Kozhikode district to expose various violations in the industry. Over 270 cases were registered against the violators who were caught for grave offences in the trade. The junk food dealers and wayside eateries were among the suspected group of violators.

As the district witnessed a spike in the number of such cases, the department subsequently launched an exclusive grading process for food businesses with a focus on six parameters aimed to promote personal hygiene, healthy eating habits, safe water handling practice, effective complaint redressing mechanism, open kitchen visits and food donation. Over 100 hotels in the city alone had completed the grading process with satisfactory performance.