A food safety raid in the Sealdah station area led officials to discard around 100 food items after field checks, while a popular pocket-paratha seller outside NRS Hospital was found unable to produce a licence for selling food. Samples from the seller’s curry were collected for laboratory testing, with the report expected in seven days.
Food safety department officials conducted the raid on Saturday morning at food stalls near Sealdah station and on the footpath outside NRS Hospital. The inspection covered the shop of the seller known as Raju, who prepares pocket parathas at home and sells them near the station, as well as several other food outlets in the surrounding area.
Officials collected samples of singaras, kachuri dal, curries, fish, meat and chicken from multiple shops. The food was subjected to on-site checks involving chemical testing to assess its quality. According to the officials, several items did not pass the quality checks. These included stale chicken, fish eggs, curry and other prepared food, which were subsequently discarded.
The inspection resulted in approximately 100 singaras, kachuri dal, curry, stale chicken, fish and other food items being thrown away. Officials also cautioned the shopkeepers and directed them to follow food safety requirements while preparing and selling food near the station.
At Raju’s stall, the curry passed the field test, according to the report. Officials nevertheless collected samples and sent them for laboratory testing. The final laboratory report is expected after seven days, meaning the field result does not yet represent the outcome of the formal test.
Officials also asked Raju to produce a licence for selling pocket parathas. He was unable to provide one. Raju said he had no prior experience with the licensing process and would now try to obtain the required licence. He said he prepares 10 to 12 kilograms of parathas at home, takes the 3.45 am train to Kolkata to sell them and returns at around 11 am.
Raju said he would begin wearing a surgical cap and gloves while handling and selling the food. He also maintained that customers would not have grounds to object to the quality of his food. The authorities’ next formal step in his case will depend on the laboratory report due in seven days.
