The district administration’s Safe Food drive will begin on Tuesday to ensure that water and food are made available to people in hygienic conditions.
The drive is part of the campaign to check communicable diseases. District Collector S. Suhas has ordered the inspection of street food vendors and other eateries in the district as part of the drive to ensure safe food. The decision was taken at a meeting involving many departments, including Health and Food Safety which will lead and co-ordinate the drive. On Tuesday, inspections will be held in Thrikkakara municipality.
In the coming days, inspections will be held in all areas under local self-governments in the district. Besides the quality of food and water, the health status of workers will be checked. Those without health cards will be given five days to get a check-up and a doctor’s certificate.
Closure notice
If food is found to be unsafe for consumption, closure notices will be issued. Officials of Revenue, Food Safety, Health, Civil Supplies and Police participated in the meeting. Deputy Collector P.D. Sheeladevi and District Health Officer P. N. Sreenivasan were among those who participated.
Inspections will be held three days a week, even during the night. Roadside eateries operating in violation of rules will be asked to shut down.
Ernakulam Food Safety Assistant Commissioner B. Sivakumar said the inspections would be intensified as per the Collector’s orders. Aspects related to licensing, hygiene and sanitation of the place where food is made and sold, storage of food and health status of workers will come under scrutiny.
