COIMBATORE: Food safety department officials have temporarily shut hostel kitchens at 13 private colleges in Coimbatore district after inspections over the past two days found violations on every campus checked. They issued notices to the colleges giving 14 days to rectify the lapses.The inspections were ordered by the district collector following complaints about poor quality food in college hostels. A team led by district food safety officer Dr T Anuradha conducted checks in the colleges for three days from Aug 10, covering hostels and canteens.“In all the colleges inspected, we found deficiencies and issued notices. In some places, separate notices were issued for boys’ hostels, girls’ hostels and the canteen,” Dr Anuradha said.She said kitchens were operating without proper records, food handlers lacked medical fitness certificates and had not undergone Food Safety Training and Certification. Pest control measures, food storage practices and waste disposal were also found improper.In one instance, a girls’ hostel kitchen was found unhygienic, following which the management was directed to stop operations there for 14 days. “An improvement notice has been issued to all 13 colleges under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. We have given them 14 days’ time to rectify the anomalies,” she said, adding the college had declared holidays for students.Officials said inspections would continue in other colleges in the district.
