Surat: The health department of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Monday launched an inspection drive targeting restaurants and hotels selling food items, following allegations of food poisoning and the death of a girl in Varachha after consuming food from a restaurant. Seventeen restaurants were ordered to be sealed for violations of guidelines and recovery of poor-quality food.Food safety and sanitation teams conducted checks across the city’s nine municipal zones and inspected 330 restaurants and hotels. Officials said action was taken against establishments found violating hygiene and food safety rules and guidelines.Officials recovered and destroyed 1,641kg of substandard and unsafe food items from the inspected outlets. In addition to sealing units, the civic body served notices to 208 restaurants, directing them to comply with safety and hygiene rules within stipulated timelines.SMC officials also collected administrative charges totalling Rs 4.17 lakh from errant establishments during the operation.According to the department, inspections covered multiple parameters, including overall hygiene in kitchens, quality of food served, expiry dates of stored items, storage and handling of stale or loose food materials, availability of medical fitness certificates of food handlers and cooks, pest control certification, purity and safety of water used for cooking and proper waste disposal systems.Inspection teams placed special emphasis on dairy products and related items such as paneer, cheese, butter, buttermilk and edible oil. Restaurants were instructed to display information on dairy products on notice boards and menus to improve transparency and help consumers make informed choices.Officials said the drive was carried out by food safety and sanitation staff deployed across zones, and further action would be taken against establishments that fail to comply with standards.
