DIMAPUR — The District Level Advisory Committee (DLAC) on Safe Food and Healthy Diets convened a meeting at the conference hall of the deputy commissioner (DC) of Kohima on Tuesday to review the ongoing implementation of food safety measures in the district.

During the meeting, five Task Force teams presented detailed PowerPoint reports on their inspection visits conducted across various locations under Kohima district. According to a DIPR report, DC Kohima B Henok Buchem congratulated and commended all five teams for successfully completing the first phase of inspection.

In total, the teams inspected 108 establishments, including 31 hotels and 77 restaurants, over a span of five days. The inspections focused on verifying the validity of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licences or registrations, assessing hygiene and sanitation standards, and ensuring compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

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Across the inspected outlets, common issues observed included expired food items, improper storage, lack of pest control and waste management systems, unhygienic kitchen conditions, absence of separate storage for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, damp floors, and the use of newspapers to cover food. Many establishments also lacked medical fitness certificates for workers and valid water quality reports. While dining areas were generally well maintained, most kitchens were found to be neglected.

Following the inspections, a total of 18 improvement notices are to be issued and one suspension notice issued to non-compliant establishments.

The DLAC urged all food business operators to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and to maintain proper hygiene, sanitation, and licensing to ensure safe food practices in the district.