Kolkata: The food safety wing of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Monday conducted surprise raids at a number of bakeries involved in the making of cakes and pastries and collected a number of samples. "The samples will be tested in the laboratory of KMC and if irregularities are found, action will be taken as per the legal provisions under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)," said Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh, who also holds the charge of the Health department of KMC.
The KMC team visited as many as 17 bakeries in areas like Alimuddin Street, Behala and Sealdah area, to ensure that sanitation and hygiene is properly maintained during preparation of cakes and pastries.
The officials instructed the units about proper maintenance of cleanliness and warned them of action if they ignored these aspects. "Some of the manufacturing units were found unhygienic and they have been cautioned," an officer said. "Christmas is the time when there is a huge demand for cakes and whenever there is increased demand, there is a tendency of compromising with the quality during preparation of bulk items," said a senior food safety officer who was present during the drive.
The Deputy Mayor made it clear that the officers will conduct regular food drives with emphasis on cakes and pastries until Christmas.
"During Durga Puja and Kali Puja, we conducted drives in restaurants and food stalls. We also checked the kitchens to ensure that the ingredients used for cooking meet the standards of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)," said the FSSAI officer of KMC.