Biryani hotel stocks rotten meat in Madurai

Madurai: The idli batter in a popular hotel opposite the district court in Madurai had at least five cockroaches; a restaurant recently opened in the same locality and another near Mattuthavani bus stand, famous for non-vegetarian biryani, had rotten meat ready to be cooked; and in many hotels, cooks did not wear caps and gloves.

In all, hygiene was found to be given the go-by in the very famous restaurants dotting the Mattuthavani bus stand and district court when a team of officials raided them on Saturday.

On instructions from collector, Dr L. Subram­anian, who received a spec­ific complaint during the grievance day pro­gramme about lack of hygiene and poor quality of food served by some famous restaurants, a team headed by district supply officer Latha, who is also the consumer protection officer, conducted a surprise raid in the hotels usually thronged by the general public in the northern part of the temple city.

The team found several violations besides poor hygienic conditions in preparing food. Consu­mer council member A. Ravindren, who was part of the inspection team, said, “We found five cockroaches in the idli batter in a popular restaurant where maids washing dis­hes had fungal infection on their skin, espec­ia­lly the toes.

We have advised them to use slippers. While cooks did not we­ar caps, waiters had no gloves to cover their palms. There was no hygi­ene at all.” An adjacent hotel, whi­ch was opened a month ago, had stored one-week old­ mutton and chicken in the freezer.