The Jammu and Kashmir government has sent food samples, including meat, chicken, and other contaminated food items, to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) laboratory in Ghaziabad for advanced testing, as part of a crackdown on the supply of unhygienic food in local markets.
The move comes after a week-long crackdown on the sale of rotten and substandard food items including chicken, meat, kebabs, rista, and goshtaba across Kashmir Valley, a drive that has kept Food Safety Department officials on their toes amid massive public outrage.
Hilal Ahmad Mir, Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, Kashmir, said several samples have been collected from multiple districts of the Valley and sent to the Ghaziabad laboratory for testing, which is expected to take 12–14 days for results. This lab is among the FSSAI-notified laboratories for primary food testing
“In a bid to trace the source and scale of the rotten meat racket, we have dispatched samples of meat, chicken, and other tainted food items to the advanced laboratory,” he said.
Officials said the results will determine legal action against those involved in the supply and sale of unhygienic food products. The test results will not only confirm contamination but may also expose a supply chain feeding unhygienic products into markets in Jammu and Kashmir.
J&K does not have the facility or ‘scope’ for a food lab that encompasses a wide range of testing and analysis to ensure food safety, quality, and compliance with regulations. This includes microbiological, chemical, and nutritional analysis, as well as testing for contaminants.
Food Safety officials said that as of Monday, the department has seized 60 to 70 quintals of rotten meat and chicken across the 10 districts of Kashmir since the crackdown started.
The crackdown began after a video showing rotten meat and chicken being seized went viral on social media platforms, triggering condemnation and criticism from general public.
Officials said the crackdown on substandard and unhygienic meat continues across Jammu and Kashmir, with similar drives planned for this week.
“We will keep up these enforcement drives to ensure such meat and chicken are neither sold in markets nor served in restaurants and hotels,” an official said.
Officials maintain that while not all meat in the market is unsafe, serious concerns have been raised, particularly over storage practices and quality standards.
The issue has grown so serious that the Chief Minister on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing food safety enforcement campaign.
The CM issued several directions, including the establishment of food safety check posts and testing laboratories at Lakhanpur and Qazigund to monitor mutton, chicken, and other perishable items entering the Union Territory.
The Food Safety and Drugs Organization has been asked to ensure comprehensive surveillance and rapid enforcement of hygiene standards across districts.
The department has been tasked with carrying out surprise raids in collaboration with police, verifying origin of all meat products, ensuring that proper cold-chain infrastructure is in place, and guaranteeing that storage facilities are equipped with deep-freezing units.
