DH Impact: FSSAI inspects Indira Canteen kitchen, directs food safety officials to inspect all 12 locations amid rat menace

Ravindra said he collected samples of water rice and dal at the kitchen and sent them for testing. He also sent a report to the Food Safety Commissioner of FSSAI about the rats found in the kitchen.

Mysuru: Followed by a report published in DH on rats found in Indira Canteen Master Kitchen at Alanahalli Circle within zone 1 of Mysore City Corporation in Mysuru city, posing serious health threat to customers, Designated officer (DO) of FSSAI, under the Health department, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) limits, Dr S L Ravindra inspected the kitchen on Tuesday. He has also issued notice to the tender holder to improve the Kitchen within 14 days.

He has directed three food safety officers to inspect all 12 Indira canteens and another master kitchen of Indira canteen on Kumbarkoppal road in Mysuru city.

Dr Ravindra said, "The exhaust duct or chimney which is not functioning, poor waste management, lack of frequent deep cleaning has led to rat infestation in the Alanahalli Master Kitchen. There is no mesh to windows, and there are at least twenty gaps to the kitchen including those near doors, from where the rats are entering the kitchen," he said.

He informed that he has given information to MCC Commissioner Asad Ur Rehman Sharief and MCC Health officer, Dr N P Venkatesh about the issues in this Master Kitchen and about necessary measures including civil works to be taken to fix the loop holes to prevent rats from entering the kitchen. He has even informed them about UGD blockage outside the kitchen, Ravindra said.

Ravindra said he collected samples of water rice and dal at the kitchen and sent them for testing.

Ravindra has also sent a report to the Food Safety Commissioner of FSSAI about the rats found in the kitchen.

Master Kitchen at Alanahalli Circle supplies food to six canteens in Alanahalli, Dr Rajkumar Road, CADA office, Silk factory circle, Sewage farm road in Vidyaranyapuram, and Azeez sait double road ward no 11.

Food prepared in the master kitchen on Kumbarkoppal road is supplied for canteens in Kumbarkoppal, Sharadadevi Nagar, Jodi Thenginamara Road, KR Hospital, Nazarbad taluk office, and Azeez sait double road ward no 14.

The article on rats found in Indira canteen master Kitchen was published in DH on November 10. Dr Ravindra visited the master kitchen a day later on November 11.