Restaurants and inspection

During the pandemic, the whole world recognized the importance of hygiene and made maximum efforts to maintain cleanliness. However, with the decline of Covid, many of us are no longer paying much attention to hygiene. Many people think that waste is something that is meant to be dumped somewhere. Not only the locals are to be blamed for this. The fault lies with the government and local bodies too. Waste disposal is a matter of more priority than development. When the surroundings are clean, homes and restaurants will naturally become cleaner. When it comes to hygiene, the collective action of the people, rather than the law, succeeds.

Indore in Madhya Pradesh retains the number one position in the central government's sanitation survey only due to the prompt intervention of the locals in terms of cleanliness. It is the duty and responsibility of every citizen to keep the streets and houses clean. The mindset that the government will do everything needs to be changed.

The food safety department has been extensively conducting inspections across the state following the death of a girl in Cheruvathur after eating shawarma. The inspection is part of the campaign ‘Good food, state’s right’. Minister Veena George had revealed that a total of 110 shops, including 61 unlicensed shops and 49 unhygienic shops, were closed last day. 140 kilogram of unhygienic meat was also seized and destroyed.

The detection of Shigella in Kasargod and Kozhikode districts has raised further concerns. The deadly bacteria enter humans through stale food and unclean water. In Kerala, the most common billboards on national highways and major roads are those of shawarma and kuzhimanthi.

In comparison with old times, the habit of eating out has become more prevalent among the people. We do not hesitate to spend more money on food. Hence, the setting up of a restaurant on the road has become an easy way to make money. Many a time, the food is prepared by migrant labourers who are unaware about Malayalees’ cleanliness. The food safety department intervenes only when there is a death or a food poisoning incident. This will only solve the problem temporarily. If regular inspections are ensured, then the restaurant operators will be forced to improve quality.

The lack of licensed slaughterhouses leads to the arrival of unclean meat in many ways. The notion that everything can be fixed only with the inspection of the food department is also incorrect. It is imperative that the government should appoint a special committee to make recommendations on redressal of grievances in this area.