Rotten Meat Scare Rocks Kashmir: Massive Seizures, Grand Mufti's Fatwa, And CM Omar's Stern Warning What's Cooking?

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A rotten-meat scare has gripped Kashmir after authorities seized and destroyed over 12,000 kilograms of adulterated varieties meat in a two-week crackdown.

The health scare prompted Kashmir's Grand Mufti to issue a fatwa against the sale and consumption of 'haram' meat, and led Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to order strict action, including criminal charges, against those selling unsafe food.

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On Monday, 11 August, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah held a high-level meeting in Srinagar and ordered the establishment of check posts and testing laboratories at Lakhanpur and Qazigund to screen mutton and chicken. Abdullah also directed officials to take exemplary punitive action, including initiating criminal proceedings, against those found storing or selling unsafe food.

Unchecked and unnoticed: CM Omar

"The grave problem appears to have remained unchecked and unnoticed for too long. The unscrupulous elements have played with the health and lives of people. This has to stop and those deliberately involved in playing with public health must face the law," Abdullah said

Kashmir, called by some as a meat-lovers' paradise, consumes about 60,000 tonnes of mutton annually, according to rough estimates. Half of this supply comes from outside.

In its crackdown on rotten and adulterated meat in the Kashmir valley that began on 31 July, the Union Territory's Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has seized and destroyed more than 12000 kg of decomposed and unlabelled meat since.

The FDA seized as many as 1200 kg of putrefied meat from a trader at Zakoora industrial estate on the outskirts of Srinagar on 31 July. Following the recovery, the authorities intensified their crackdown, and days later, in a raid in the Lasjan area of Pulwama, more than 500 kg of rotten meat was seized.

The owner claimed the supply was for commercial distribution to restaurants and hotels, the officials said.

Since then, the FDA has conducted a series of surprise inspections and raids at multiple locations. In such raids, in the Safakadal and Parimpora areas of the city, the enforcement teams seized 2,500 kebabs allegedly found to have been processed using frozen meat containing unpermitted food colour.

Adulterated kebabs and meatballs

Food safety officers collected food samples of the seized products for detailed analysis and further legal action, while adulterated kebabs and meatballs were destroyed on the spot and safely disposed of to prevent any risk to public health, the officials said.

The officials said the crackdown has targeted products laced with harmful synthetic colours and meat kept without proper cold storage facilities.

Jammu and Kashmir FDA Commissioner Smita Sethi told local journalists that not all meat available in the market is unsafe, but several serious issues have been flagged, especially in storage and quality.

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“You will not find rotten meat everywhere. There are two or three concerns one is meat laced with synthetic colours, especially used in items like kebabs, which are harmful. Such products are being destroyed,” she said.

The officials said the seized consignments were either being transported or stored without proper labelling or cold-chain logistics, raising serious concerns over public health and food safety.

Illegal Dumping

The crackdown has evoked strong reactions from defaulting food business operators (FBOs), some of whom have resorted to illegally dumping unsafe food items at abandoned sites.

They said two such incidents were recently recorded in Kakapora in Pulwama and Khandey Colony, Nawgam.

"About 350 kg of meat was found on the road between Gallandar and Pampore in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. Some suppliers had dumped it for the fear of getting caught," the officials added.

The seizure of thousands of kilograms of rotten mutton has created a scare in the Kashmir valley. The consumers have been shaken over the alleged lack of quality and safety of the meat products they consume.

Not only have the consumers, but it has also caused concern among health experts and religious leaders.

Doctors have raised an alarm over the issue, saying unhygienic handling of meat, including poultry, can emerge as a considerable public health concern.

"The improper slaughtering, dressing, packaging, transportation, storage and distribution can contaminate the meat with infective agents, especially bacteria which can lead to food poisoning, diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid and many other health concerns," Dr Mohammad Salim Khan, Professor and HOD Community Medicine Government Medical College Srinagar, told news agency PTI.

Grand Mufti Fatwa

Jammu and Kashmir's Grand Mufti Nasir

Islam has issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring the consumption and sale of 'haram' (forbidden) meat or earning a livelihood through it as strictly prohibited under Islam.

The grand mufti urged the administration to take proactive measures to end illegal meat trade and ensure transparency and quality in the supply chain.

Addressing the Friday sermon at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar , Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed anguish over the seizure of rotten, unlabelled, and possibly unlawful meat in the valley.

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Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Satish Sharma has directed the department's enforcement wing to intensify and continue its drive against adulterated meat across the Union Territory .

"The health of our citizens is non-negotiable. Any compromise on food safety will be dealt with firmly. The enforcement wing must act without delay or leniency," Sharma said.

(With PTI inputs)

Key Takeaways
• Massive crackdown on rotten meat highlights severe food safety issues in Kashmir.
• Authorities are taking strict actions, including fatwas and criminal charges, to combat unsafe food practices.
• Concerns over public health are escalating, with experts warning about the risks of contaminated meat.

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