A food safety inspection in Mayapur, Nadia, has found rotten curd, spoiled flour and expired food in restaurant refrigerators, while several eateries were unable to produce valid trade licences or Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) documents. The operation was conducted on Friday near the ISKCON temple as authorities stepped up checks during the festive period.
Food safety department officials and block administration personnel inspected temporary and permanent food stalls operating along the pavements and around the temple area. The checks covered kitchen hygiene, cleanliness, food quality and compliance with licensing requirements, according to a report by Anandabazar.
Officials said the kitchens of several hotels and restaurants were found to be unhygienic. During refrigerator inspections, teams found spoiled curd, deteriorated flour and food that had crossed its expiry date. Several owners allegedly failed to produce either the required trade licence or FSSAI registration or licence when asked by the inspection team.
The findings are significant for Mayapur, a prominent pilgrimage and tourism destination that receives visitors who depend heavily on local eateries and temporary food stalls. The inspection also covered businesses operating in informal roadside spaces, where enforcement can be more difficult because establishments may be temporary, recently opened or operating without clearly displayed documentation.
Authorities issued show-cause notices to multiple restaurant owners for allegedly preparing and serving food in unhygienic conditions and for failing to comply with licensing requirements. The action varied according to the reported violation. Businesses without the required permissions were directed to stop operating, while eateries with food-quality problems were told to correct the shortcomings quickly.
Some business owners cited different reasons for the licensing gaps. Rajkumar Roy said his shop had opened only a month earlier and that he had not yet received the licence. Rajesh Debnath said he had not considered applying separately for a trade licence because his establishment was small. Jagatpati Das, a tenant operating a restaurant, acknowledged that he knew a trade licence was mandatory but had not treated the requirement as a priority.
Das’s restaurant was ordered to close immediately because it did not have a trade licence. The case illustrates how licensing obligations can be overlooked by small and newly established food businesses, even when they serve customers in a high-footfall tourism zone.
Food safety officer Disha Hazra said inspections would continue in Nabadwip and adjoining areas until the 4th. She said businesses without appropriate licences would be ordered to shut, while those found serving substandard food had been instructed to rectify the problems promptly. The ongoing inspections are intended to extend the checks beyond the initial Mayapur operation and cover more eateries in the surrounding pilgrimage belt.
