Srinagar, Oct 04 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir government has banned the trade of unsafe frozen meat after inspections revealed rotten and unlabelled stock being sold in the market.
Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, Hilal Ahmad Mir, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the move is aimed at protecting public health and stopping those involved in unsafe practices.
He said the Food Safety Commissioner has ordered an immediate ban on the preparation, storage, transport, and sale of frozen meat that does not meet the standards set under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
"Meat without proper labelling or storage conditions will not be allowed," Mir said. He explained that highly perishable items like chicken must be kept under strict temperature control, at minus 18 degrees Celsius. Any product failing to meet these conditions will be seized and destroyed, he warned.
The officer added that all departments, including police, have been alerted. He urged people to report suspicious sales and warned traders that licences will be cancelled if they are found violating the ban.
"Only properly labelled and safely stored branded meat products will be permitted for sale, while raw or semi-processed meat brought without temperature control will face immediate disposal," he said—(KNO)