Food safety department instructs polytechnic college in Chennai to renovate canteen as students fall sick

CHENNAI: After the Food Safety Department closed down the canteen inside a private polytechnic college in the city as the food was found to be kept in an unhygienic condition on Thursday, the college authorities have been asked to renovate the canteen and seek approval of the department.

A few students of the P T Lee Chengalvaraya Naicker Polytechnic College were suffering due to food poisoning and diarrhoea after consuming the food prepared at the college canteen.

After the concern raised by the public health department of the Greater Chennai Corporation, the food safety department had inspected the college canteen and found that the canteen was not clean and food was stored in an unhygienic manner.

The contractor of the canteen had been fined and instructed to renovate the canteen so that the sanitation of the place is maintained.

"We have taken the food samples from the canteen and the canteen has been shut down. The college authorities have been asked to ensure that the food is prepared in a clean and hygienic space as it can have serious health complications among the students, " said Dr P Satheesh Kumar, designated food safety officer.

After multiple incidents of diarrhoea have been reported across the State, the food safety department and the state health department officials have intensified vigil on the food outlets and packaged water units to prevent outbreaks due to contamination.

The officials say that other college canteens and food outlets near schools are also under the radar and will be inspected to ensure that children do not fall sick due to contaminated food.