Tamil Nadu BJP alleges widespread food safety issues, calls for CCTVs in restaurant kitchens

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP has urged the state government to ensure that CCTV cameras are fitted in the kitchens of all fast food restaurants in the state to monitor the quality of food in order to safeguard the health of the people.

In a statement, BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad alleged that many restaurants in Chennai including biryani shops were not following food safety measures, leading to health issues in their customers.

Pointing out that almost 55% of Chennai residents eat at restaurants at least once a week, he said, "Due to this demand, restaurant chains have grown in the city and provide job opportunities for lakhs of people".

The BJP leader, however, said that many restaurants do not have proper refrigeration especially to store meat. "Adding to the woes, several hotels were also regularly indulging in keeping leftovers in the fridge and serving to the people after heating it", he alleged.

Prasad urged for meat and other food wastage to be properly disposed off besides imposing an official ban on using the same oil several times to prepare food.

Claiming that many restaurants were functioning without proper licence from the Chennai Corporation, he said the government should take steps to immediately cancel the licence of restaurants which violate the rules. "Even three star and five star hotels are not adopting the rules", he alleged.