Andhra public health officers seize rotten meat from shops during surprise raid

The Public Health Department officials in Andhra’s Kurnool district headquarters seized rotten meat (mutton and chicken) from various meat shops during a surprise raid on Sunday, reported Hans India.

The raids were conducted under the supervision of city municipal corporation public health officers, Dr Kalyana Chakravarti and Dr Ravi, along with the veterinary doctors, sanitary inspectors, and food inspectors.

Food inspectors have found that old rotten meat, even three to four days old, were being sold in meat shops, reported HMTV News.

Officials claim that many meat sellers were violating hygiene rules and issued notices to those shops. District officials also claim that in places where the demand for mutton was high, traders were selling meat of goat kids. Hans India reported that many traders were violating the rule of killing sheep, goats and chicken only from abattoirs with certified hygiene standards.

According to Section 3(2) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001 an animal less than three months old cannot be slaughtered. 

"We are inspecting the shops and restaurants in this area. These meat shops have also been using plastic. We are penalising these meat shops and have also suspended their licenses. Some of them are operating without licenses and their shops have been sealed,” Dr Kalyana Chakravarti told HMTV News.

In December 2016, there were routine raids by the Health Department which confirmed that stale meat was served at the district’s eateries.

The issue of stale meat being sold has been in news in Hyderabad—the joint capital of Andhra and Telangana too.

In February, officials from the Health Department of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) found meat was stored unhygienically in many popular eateries in Secunderabad. The stores were fined Rs 10,000 and were served a notice.