Substandard food products identified through laboratory analysis.
Cautions hotels in Dimapur & Kohima for violations, lapses
DIMAPUR/KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 25 (MExN): The Food Safety Administration of Dimapur on Thursday warned consumers after laboratory analysis revealed several substandard food products, while inspections of hotels and restaurants in Dimapur and Kohima uncovered serious violations.
The products identified as substandard include Classic Dark Soya Sauce, Batch No. A01, manufactured on 20/06/25 with a best-before date of 19/06/26; Woovy Choco Shots Flavoured Beans, manufactured in October 2024 with a shelf life of nine months; Amulspray Infant Milk Food or Infant Milk Substitute, Batch No. SB00951, manufactured on 05/04/25 with a best-before date of 05/04/26; and Sunfunda Watermelon Fruit Drink, Batch No. 02, manufactured on 18/04/25 with a best-before date of 17/10/25. Consumers have been advised not to purchase these products with the specified batch numbers.
In addition to the consumer advisory, inspections along Golaghat Road in Dimapur revealed that five establishments namely M/s Manipuri Rice Hotel, Sultana Manipuri Rice Hotel, Sher-E-Punjab, Hotel Kingfisher, and Golden Manipuri Muslim Rice Hotel were operating without a valid FSSAI Registration Certificate and maintained unsanitary kitchens, a press report issued by Pelerieno Kehie, Designated Officer, FSA, Dimapur Zone stated.
Improvement notices were served under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The hotels have been directed to obtain Medical Fitness Certificates for food handlers and submit water analysis reports within 14 days, failing which legal action under Sections 32, 58, and 63 of the Act will follow.
In Kohima, following the resolution of the Kohima District Level Advisory Committee on Safe Food and Healthy Diets, the Kohima District Task Force on Food Safety began inspections of food establishments across the district. The initiative aims to ensure effective implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with its Rules and Regulations of 2011.
On the first day, the task force inspected 11 hotels and restaurants starting from Jail Colony, checking water quality, electronic appliances, washroom conditions, kitchen hygiene, food storage practices, and waste management, a DIPR report informed.
Several lapses were detected, including contamination on walls, peeling paint, damaged exhaust systems, uncovered waste bins, absence of gloves and headgear for kitchen staff, lack of separate knives and storage for vegetables and meat, presence of flies in kitchens, and missing medical certificates for employees. Only four hotels and one restaurant had valid water analysis reports.
Stating that inspections will continue across all hotels and restaurants in Kohima to ensure strict adherence to food safety standards, the FSA Kohima reiterated that all violations affecting public health, whether in packaged products or food establishments, will be dealt with strictly under the law.
