Cuttack: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) conducted a raid on food stalls at the ongoing Bali Jatra fairground on Saturday to ensure hygiene and quality standards.
Teams led by CMC Health Officer and Food Safety Officers inspected multiple stalls, seizing and destroying large quantities of stale and expired food items. Fines were also imposed on vendors found selling substandard and stale food.
Sources said several stalls inside the ORMAS section were found selling stale food items, including large quantities of yoghurt that is not good for consumption.
The inspection came amid a surge in crowds during Chadakhai celebrations on Friday, when a large number of people thronged the fair.
Stale snacks, cooked food, and other perishable items past their safe consumption period were confiscated on the spot and destroyed. Fines were collected from the erring stall owners.
The CMC has warned all vendors to strictly adhere to food safety norms and has announced continued surprise checks throughout the fair.
