Corporation entitled to check eateries

KOCHI: Reiterating that the Corporation will move ahead with the raids on the city’s eateries, the Kochi Corporation authorities stated that according to the Municipal Act, it is their responsibility to make sure that the restaurants and other eateries in the city serve quality food to the public. “When Kochi Corporation provides licences to certain establishments, it is our duty to ensure that they function as per the stipulated norms. According to the Municipal Act, we are entitled to check the sanitary conditions, hygiene inside the kitchen and other facilities in restaurants. During such raids, we sometimes come across stale food too. In case any discrepancies are found, we give a notice to the hotel authorities asking them to rectify the mistake,” said T K Ashraf, Chairman, Health Standing Committee, Kochi Corporation. “The Corporation has been keeping a tab on the functioning of the eateries in the city and it will continue to do so,” added Ashraf.He noted that although the Corporation might not have the authority to test the food kept in hotels, it will not turn a blind eye towards any malpractice related to food. “During one such raid, we found cobwebs in the vessel used to keep the dough for dosa. How can we ignore such a glaring malpractice? When Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association states that the Corporation need not look at the food quality, it should also explain how hygienic food can be made under unsanitary conditions,” noted Ashraf.