Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has launched a large-scale crackdown on food establishments violating hygiene and food safety norms, sealing two eateries and issuing notices to nine others during a three-day inspection drive across the city.
Teams from the civic body’s Health Department inspected 87 restaurants, cafés, dairy outlets and food businesses, during which they destroyed 59 kg of stale and contaminated food, seized 96 kg of food waste, collected 10 food samples for laboratory testing and imposed penalties amounting to Rs 20,000.
Among the establishments sealed was Aadaro Restaurant & Catering at Gangeshwar Chowk on Rail Nagar Main Road. Inspectors allegedly found expired potato masala, gravy, bread, pizza, pav, boiled vegetables and other food items stored for use despite being unfit for consumption. Around 19 kg of spoiled food was destroyed, while the restaurant was fined Rs 3,000 and served a notice for violations related to hygiene and licensing.
Action was also taken against Jai Jalaram Cream Lassi & Vadapau, situated near Silver Square on Karnavati Road. Officials seized and destroyed nearly 22 kg of stale food, including syrup, chutney, ghughra and ingredients used in preparing lassi. The outlet was fined Rs 3,000 and issued a notice for failing to comply with prescribed food safety standards.
As part of the campaign, the Food Department collected milk, cheese and cake samples from several food outlets and dairy farms across Rajkot for laboratory examination. The samples will be tested to determine whether they meet quality and safety standards under food safety regulations.
RMC officials said the city-wide inspection drive is aimed at ensuring that food businesses maintain proper hygiene, use safe ingredients and comply with licensing requirements. The civic body has warned that strict action, including sealing of premises and legal proceedings, will continue against establishments found compromising public health.