Surat Municipal Corporation inspected 157 food establishments across the city over two days, destroyed 328kg of substandard food and imposed fines totalling Rs 4.64 lakh during a citywide food safety and hygiene drive.
The inspections were conducted by zonal teams of the civic body’s health department on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials checked establishments for hygiene and food safety compliance, including infrastructure, water quality, cooking materials, health check-ups and fitness certificates for food-handling staff, and waste disposal practices.
The drive resulted in notices being issued to 87 establishments for deficiencies. The establishments were asked to comply with the required standards. Civic teams also collected 72 food samples for further analysis during the two-day operation.
On Thursday, the second day of the drive, teams inspected 73 establishments and issued notices to 48 of them. They collected 33 food samples, destroyed 135kg of poor-quality food and imposed fines totalling Rs 1.87 lakh.
The preceding day’s action covered 84 establishments. Officials issued notices to 54 outlets, collected 39 food samples and destroyed 193kg of substandard food. Fines collected on Wednesday amounted to Rs 2.77 lakh.
The inspections covered more than the condition of food on sale. Teams also examined the physical infrastructure and operating practices of the establishments, including the quality of water used, raw materials, staff health checks and the handling and disposal of waste. These checks place responsibility on food businesses to maintain basic sanitation systems alongside product quality.
As part of the compliance measures, establishments were also asked to make arrangements that would allow customers to view food preparation through live video systems. The Surat Municipal Corporation said the measure was intended to improve transparency and public awareness about hygiene practices.
The civic body said the inspections form part of its ongoing monitoring of food safety and sanitation standards across Surat. Further action will depend on the analysis of collected samples and compliance by establishments that received notices.
