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CMC raids eating houses serving unhygienic food

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

All businesses ranging from five star hotels to wayside eating houses have come under the strict inspection of Colombo Municipal Council Health Department. The kitchens of reputed sports clubs too would come under the scrutiny of the CMC health officials, a high ranking CMC official said.

The move follows reports of unhygienic food being served at various eating houses including plush food centres in the city and also several instances of food poisoning. "Lightning raids are now being conducted round the clock to ensure that proper hygienic standards are maintained at these restaurants and eating places," the Chief Medical Officer of CMC Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam told the Daily News.

He said, food inspectors have been advised to pay special attention to kitchens of sports clubs.

On Thursday night, a group of Municipal Food Inspectors conducted sudden raids on restaurants and super markets in Wellawatta area where they recovered outdated food items." Those food items were later destroyed," an investigating official said.

Moreover, the Municipality has taken legal action against 10 kiosks located opposite Colombo National Hospital for selling unhygienic food early this week." They are not provided with pipe-borne water service and, the owners have stored water in unhygienic containers. Stern action was taken against them," said Chief Food Inspector S. M. Kathriarachchi.

Health officials have also cracked down on certain kiosks at the Manning Market where outdated and unhygienic food items have been sold. "We have taken samples of food items from them and further inspections are conducted," he added.

The Municipality food inspectors' team comprises H. M. Wickremesinghe, H. D. Ariyaratne, S. A. Razak, K. Marasinghe and P. Edirisinghe.

Earlier, the Municipal Health authorities warned the public to be more vigilant about the food items they consume amid reports that a large stock of outdated food items are freely available in the market.

"There are large quantities of outdated food items available at places ranging from supermarkets to small boutiques in the city, Dr. Kariyawasam of the CMC added. Most of these food items belonged to old stocks which had been imported for the Christmas.

Already, the Municipal Council's inspectors have raided several super markets and other establishments for selling outdated food items and have recovered a large quantity of these food items. Legal action was also taken against the owners of these shops.

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