Kozhikode eatery fined ₹1 lakh over alleged unhygienic food production

Inspectors suspended the facility’s operations and reported violations in the preparation of fried snacks. A separate enforcement drive inspected 201 establishments in the district.

The Kozhikode Revenue Divisional Officer fined a food business ₹1 lakh for allegedly making and distributing fried snacks in unhygienic conditions. Inspectors found that the premises, where about 15 people worked, were in severely unsanitary condition. The operation was suspended after officials deemed the premises unfit for food preparation.

The establishment supplied products to hotels, bakeries and cool bars in the city and surrounding areas. Jithin Raj, a Food Safety Officer with the Kozhikode South Circle, filed the case. The department said businesses must comply with Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards regulations, and that the total polar compounds (TPC) level in cooking oil must not exceed 25%.

Separately, the department reported on its Operation Thelima campaign: inspectors visited 201 establishments in the district and seized and destroyed 238 litres of used oil considered unfit for reuse. Local media have also reported on inspections of food businesses in Kozhikode.