Proliferation of eateries in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: The flood of junk foods and Arabian dishes has caused the proliferation of eateries in Kozhikode but no adequate increase in the staff strength of food safety department responsible for checking these them. The acute staff shortage could be gauged from the fact that there are only three food safety officers for 13 circles in the district.

The officers are in Kozhikode South, Perambra, Vadakara circle offices, and they are being roped in for other offices also. For special drives and in emergency situations, officers would be roped in from neighbouring districts.

Still, the authorities are unable to ensure that restaurants/bakeries/canteens are providing healthy food in hygienic conditions due to the soaring numbers.

In Kozhikode Assistant Commissioner office of food safety, six to seven new applications for the license are being received on a daily basis.

“We hope that the existing vacancies would be filled soon as the interview process is over. The irregularities found during inspection would be rectified by eatery owners in most of the cases. But after a period, the same offence will be repeated. Continuous checking could avert that, and that was impossible due to the less manpower,” said Eliyamma P.K., assistant commissioner of food safety, Kozhikode.

Besides, the department has only a vehicle for the entire district, and it is being overcome by hiring vehicles.

The department has three mobile vigilance squads in the state including one here. An assistant commissioner and two food safety inspectors are required for each unit, but Kozhikode district is running with one food safety officer. The common violation found in restaurants is non-hygiene and contaminated water in  packaged drinking water units. Eight eateries were shut down after the inspection in the district on Tuesday.