According to media reports, the majority of chicken shops in Kerala are illegal. Though there are strict rules and regulations for starting chicken shops, none of them is enforced, reports Mathubhumi. According to unofficial estimates, there are 26,000 poultry shops in Kerala. Less than five per cent of it is approved by the Food Safety Department.
According to the State Department of Economics and Statistics, there were 15,680 poultry shops in 2013. Of these, 75.30 per cent were unregistered. Of the licenses, 32 per cent are approved by local bodies, 3.2 per cent by the Food Safety Department and 23.8 per cent by the Pollution Control Board.
According to the Pollution Control Board’s 2020 estimates, only 1190 establishments, including poultry and other butcher shops, are licensed. In November 2021, the Local Self Government Department issued new guidelines for renovating shops, ensuring hygiene and complying with the Food Safety Act. But neither the Food Security Department nor the local self-governing bodies have spared the implementation.
It was recently a girl in Kerala was killed after eating Shawarma, an Arabian dish. Investigations found that she got infected by Shigella which reached her body through the meat she consumed. However, even after the incidents, no actions are made to control illegal chicken shops and slaughterhouses in the state.
Courtesy: Mathrubhumi News
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