Bhubaneswar: Ahead of Diwali festival, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday stepped up the crackdown on sweet shops and food outlets to ensure public safety and hygiene.
Officials said the Food Safety Squad of the civic body conducted raids at sweet stalls in several parts of the city including Bapuji Nagar area, and imposed penalty on several establishments for violating food safety norms and unhygienic kitchen conditions.
Amid high demand for sweets and other food items ahead of Diwali, the BMC teams carried out surprise inspection at popular outlets, and confectioneries. The teams also destroyed a huge quantity of stale food during the special drive.
The drive was aimed at curbing adulteration and poor hygiene practices that becomes rampant during the festival season when sweet consumption soars in the city.
During the raids, several outlets were found operating without proper cleanliness measures, leading to on-the-spot penalties ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000.
The BMC’s Food Safety Wing checked kitchens, storage rooms, and packaging areas for compliance with hygiene and quality standards.
Teams also collected samples of sweets, dough mixes, and water from various outlets for laboratory testing. Each store was advised to ensure that workers wore gloves, aprons, and head caps during food preparation and serving.
BMC officials said inspection drives would continue throughout the festive week, with teams deployed across all major markets and sweet-selling zones in the capital city.