(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- In the ongoing crackdown against unsafe food practices, authorities have seized and destroyed nearly 12,000 kilograms of unsafe and decomposed frozen meat across Jammu and Kashmir over the past few weeks.

According to officials of the Food Safety Department said that the seized stock included over 8,000 kgs in Kashmir and more than 3,000 kgs in Jammu, much of it found unbranded, improperly stored or dumped on roadsides.

“The consignments were declared unfit for human consumption and subsequently destroyed,” the officials said, as per news agency KNO.

As per the officials, the operation has also led to the sealing of two establishments and the registration of cases against the offenders.“Wherever we found unsafe or decomposed meat, it was seized and destroyed. Two establishments have already been locked by police and cases have been registered against them,” a senior official said.

Notably, the seizures have highlighted gaps in the valley's storage infrastructure. Officials said that Srinagar lacked proper cold storage facilities, required to preserve frozen meat at -18°C.“Here, storage units can maintain temperatures only up to -4°C, which is inadequate for frozen consignments. At present, there may be four to five such units, but none are up to standard,” the official said.

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Authorities said the ongoing crackdown was a part of a routine monitoring exercise that gained urgency after large dumps of decomposed meat surfaced in recent weeks. While some consignments were traced to offenders, others were found abandoned along roadsides, making it difficult to establish their source.

The officials at the Food Safety Department said that they have written to the Commissioner for Food Safety to further probe the supply chain and identify points of origin.

Officials stressed that ensuring food safety is a joint responsibility.“Suppliers, hoteliers and purchasers must verify proper branding, expiry dates and licenses before buying meat,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kashmir on Saturday also urged the government to establish strict testing facilities at Lakhanpur the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir and to impose a ban on unbranded frozen meat entering J&K.

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