CHENNAI NEWS

70kg of expired meat seized from Chennai restaurant

TNN | Jun 2, 2022, 08.49 PM IST

CHENNAI: Food safety officials have issued stop sale notices to Yaa Mohaideen restaurant in Chennai’s Vadapalani after seizing more than 70kg of expired meat, including chicken, stored in a freezer. They also seized 30kg of biryani prepared with the same meat.

The officials slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on the restaurant. The restaurant management has been asked to upgrade kitchen and freezer facilities in the next 15 days, undergo training and obtain certificates from NABL before reopening.

On Thursday, food safety officials received a complaint that the restaurant was using stale meat. “When we went there for inspection, we found that meat stored in refrigerators had expired. The temperature at which the meat was stored was also not as per standards,” said Chennai’s designated food safety officer Dr P Satheesh Kumar.

Eating stale meat, even when it is cooked, can make a person sick. Stale meat has a bad odour and a greyish undertone with or without green spots. The meat may also become slimy or sticky.

“When the meat gets old, chefs use additional spices and colours to mask the odour and colour. They cook the food in high heat to kill microbes, but many are heat resistant. Several people may not even realise they are eating stale meat.,” he said.

Restaurants have been given specific guidelines to store meat. “It should be stored at the right time at the right temperature. Some restaurants cut corners to avoid wastage, and this can be harmful,” Dr Satheesh said.

The biryani and meat seized from the hotel will be sent to the food safety lab for analysis. “If the food is found unfit for human consumption, charges will be framed under food safety act,” he said.