NELLORE: In a major food safety drive conducted in Ongole town on Saturday, authorities registered 20 cases, collected 21 food samples for lab testing, and destroyed 50 kg of spoiled meat from hotels, restaurants, bakeries, and sweet shops.
The inspection was conducted jointly by teams from the Food Safety Department and the Legal Metrology Department, acting on the instructions of the Food Safety Commissioner and Director. During the drive, officials found that several hotels were storing leftover cooked food and meat beyond the stipulated safety period in refrigerators. It was also found that some sweet shops and bakeries were selling packaged food items without proper manufacturing and expiry dates.
Notices were issued to all the shopkeepers, warning them to ensure that no stale or spoiled food is stored or sold on their premises. The reports of the cases registered during the drive have been submitted to the District Joint Collector. Business owners were further advised to regularly inspect their storerooms and take preventive measures to avoid stocking spoiled food items. They were also instructed to get pest control done through certified agencies within the stipulated time.
The inspection was carried out by 10 teams, comprising Assistant Food Controllers, Food Safety Officers, and Deputy and Assistant Controllers from the Legal Metrology Department.
