The analysis of samples of around 500 kg of stale chicken meat seized from an illegal unit at Kalamassery on January 12 has revealed the presence of E.coli bacteria, as per preliminary findings by the Department of Food Safety.
The Health wing and Food Safety officials had seized the stale and stinking meat from a rented house at Kaipadamugal in Ward 20 of Kalamassery Municipality. They had collected samples of stale chicken which were sent to the Regional Analytical Laboratory at Kakkanad for microbiological examination. Some samples were also fungus-infested.
Though senior Food Safety officials refused to confirm the findings, the Kalamassery municipal authorities said officials had confirmed that the samples contained E.coli bacteria.
A meeting of the Kalamassery municipal council held on Saturday witnessed heated exchanges between the ruling and Opposition benches. The Opposition led by the Left Democratic Front alleged that the ruling party had released the names of only a section of shops and eateries that had reportedly purchased meat from the illegal unit.
The municipal secretary had released the names of 49 units in a reply given to Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists who had staged a protest in front of the municipal office alleging lapses in action taken against storage and sale of unsafe food.
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