KOZHIKODE: The focus is back on the usage of the rotten low-quality meat in shawarmas after six people who consumed it from a nearby eatery got admitted to the Medical College Hospital here on Monday. Food Safety authorities started massive raids in the district following it. They say there are more than 120 shawarma stalls here. They inspected a few of them where meat was seen kept in unhygienic conditions.
Food Safety Standards Authority of India assistant commissioner Sankaran Unni said the bakery unit near the MCH alone used to sell nearly 300 shawarmas a day. "We have found rotten meat there. Similar is the condition with other stalls here. Arabian cuisine is much in demand in Kozhikode and shawarma is the favourite,” he said. "People try every trick to meet the high demand, and they stuff the shawarma with rotten meat mixed with fresh one. When asked about the rotten meat stocked there, the employees revealed the truth.”
“Last month, two migrant labourers were taken into custody by Kuttiady police on suspicion of keeping rotten meat with ingredients of shawarma for nearby eateries," he said. They destroyed the seized food. They would send samples to the state's food safety commissioner. If the products lack the required quality, he said, the owner can be penalised or even imprisoned.
