Eateries near hospitals serve low quality food

KOZHIKODE: Be more cautious while eating out at hotels and restaurants operating near hospitals, bus stands and railway stations. According to the food safety department, hotels targeting the floating population are least concerned about the quality and hygiene aspects. A 'hot spot list' of hotels was prepared as part of the on-going monsoon special food safety drives in the district following the special directive issued by the food safety commissioner. The list was prepared after collecting information on the operation of hotels. "Most of the hotels listed fall in the regions near bus stands, hospitals and railway station," said Muhammed Rafi, designated officer Kozhikode.The eateries near hospital and bus stands show lapse in keeping hygiene as they do not depend on regular customers for their business, he added.

The food safety officials had listed more than 50 hotels in the list. According to officials not less than 70 per cent of the hotels in the list were found violating food safety norms. Eateries near education institutions also are included in the list, according to officials. The special squad started the raids in the district on June 25 and have completed the inspection of over 30 hotels in the list. Of the total number of inspected hotels 18 were found violating food safety standards.Attesting the opinion, a food safety official said that hotels operating in rural areas are more conscious of customer satisfaction and health as they would lose their business if some health problems are caused. The hotels near hospitals are exploiting the hapless patients and bystanders by providing low quality food, he added. While five hotels, two at Moffussil Bus Stand, Canteen at Kozhikode Medical College and two hotels at Cheruvannoor were asked to close down. The hotels can resume operation only after re-inspection by the officials with the food safety authority, said the designated officer.Besides, 12 hotels were served notice by the department officials citing lapses on maintaining hygiene. "In most of the cases the serving boys, cooks and other staff of the hotel were not having medical certificates to prove their fitness," said food safety official. Preservation of cooked and raw meet in the same refrigerator, which would cause cross contamination, absence of lids for cooked food, use of polluted water for cooking were found in hotels those were served notice.

"We have also charged fine on some hotels on reviewing the gravity of their offences," said Muhammed Rafi.The raids will continue in the coming days and all hotels will be inspected, he added.

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