Food safety drive continues in Bhubaneswar; 10 kg stale sweets destroyed on Diwali

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted inspections across sweet shops on Monday, coinciding with Diwali celebrations, as part of its continued crackdown on stale and unhygienic food.

The BMC informed that its first raids today were conducted at Delta Square, Ghatikia, Bharatpur, Sailashree Vihar, and Infocity areas. Approximately 10 kg of stale food were seized and destroyed in the process.

Continuing Drive Across City Markets

The BMC’s food safety initiative began earlier last week, with inspections across Nayapalli, Jayadev Vihar, CRPF Square, Patia, KIIT Square, and Nandan Vihar. During the drive, 22 sweet samples were collected for laboratory testing to check for hygiene and contamination.

The surprise raids focused on popular confectioneries and local sweet shops and were random in nature.

Civic officials checked kitchens, storage areas, and packaging practices for compliance with food safety standards. Several outlets were penalised on the spot for unhygienic conditions, with fines ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. Staff were instructed to wear gloves, aprons, and head caps during food preparation and service.

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Similar Raids In Berhampur

In a similar move, the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) conducted a similar operation last week across more than 50 sweet shops in the city. Fines totalling over Rs 1 lakh were imposed for violations of hygiene and food safety norms.

BeMC’s Food Safety and Enforcement teams stated that the drive was aimed at maintaining proper cleanliness and ensuring that only high-quality food items are sold to customers. Officials confirmed that such inspections would continue in the coming days to safeguard public health during the festive season.