Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) conducted a surveillance drive across Anjuna, Vagator and Mapusa, inspecting 18 food business establishments, including restaurants, food vendors and cashew nut retailers.
During the inspections, three food business operators were directed to suspend operations until they complied with hygiene and food safety norms after officials found their premises to be operating under unhygienic conditions.
The FDA also seized and destroyed 60 kg of cashew nuts, valued at approximately ₹30,000, during the drive.
As part of routine food safety monitoring, officials tested used cooking oil from seven food business operators, including street food vendors and hotels selling fried food items, using a Total Polar Compounds (TPC) meter. The tests found that the cooking oil used by all seven establishments was within the permissible safety limit of below 25 per cent TPC.
Officials also inspected the Alankar food cluster and observed that operators were carrying out most cooking activities at a separate location before completing final preparations at the cluster. The FDA noted that hygiene standards and cleanliness at the site were being properly maintained.
The FDA said surveillance drives will continue across the state and appealed to all food business operators to strictly comply with food safety regulations, warning that licences of violators would be suspended if necessary.
The inspection team comprised Designated Officer Richard Noronha, Food Safety Officers Amit Mandrekar, Darlane Diukar and Ram Dhuri, along with staff member Sandeep Shelke, under the guidance of FDA Director Shweta Dessai.
