Jammu: Over 2,700 kilograms of expired fish and chicken were seized and destroyed following a joint inspection by the Legal Metrology Department (LMD) and the Food Safety Department on Saturday, officials said. The operation led to the filing of three separate cases against the responsible shopkeepers.
The confiscation of 27 quintals of spoiled frozen food comes shortly after a meat adulteration scandal rocked Kashmir, where authorities destroyed more than 3,500 kilograms of contaminated meat over the past week.
“Acting on government instructions, we conducted a joint inspection of the fish and chicken markets in the city ahead of the festival season. Our aim was to ensure that products, including those imported from outside Jammu and Kashmir, were stored according to regulations and clearly labeled with packaging dates, expiry dates, and MRP,” said Manoj Prabhakar, Deputy Controller of LMD Enforcement.
During the inspection, a total of 27 quintals of rotten and spoiled frozen fish and chicken were confiscated. Consequently, three cases were registered against the shopkeepers under the Legal Metrology Act for violating various regulations.
Additionally, a challan under Section 56 and an improvement notice under Section 32 were recommended against the shopkeepers for storing frozen food under unhygienic conditions, breaching the Food Safety and Standards Act.
All seized products were destroyed following standard operating procedures, in coordination with a team from the Jammu Municipal Corporation, at the Kotbhalwal dumping station on the city’s outskirts.
