The J&K government is grappling with a stinky mass supply of rotten meat and poultry into the Kashmir valley apparently for eateries. The meat-lovers’ paradise saw around four tonnes of rotten meat either dumped or sealed in the past one week, sparking protests from locals.
Officials said there has been a growing seizure of “unhygienic and unsafe” meat as well as poultry in the past one week. The figures of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) suggested that 3,500 kg was destroyed after failing the standards necessary for consumption.
A Valley-wide crackdown was sparked after 1,200 kilograms of rotten meat was seized by the Food Safety Department from a cold storage facility operating within the Zakura Industrial Estate in Srinagar on August 2.
Official figures suggested that Kashmir consumes 60,000 tonnes of mutton annually and half of the supplies come from outside.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), an amalgam of traders, said the seizure of rotten meat has set alarm bells among consumers and the business community alike. The footfall at Valley restaurants has dropped because of the fear of eating unsafe meat. “There is a 75% drop in consumers at Khayam, the hub of steak sellers in Srinagar,” Khalid Jan, a steak seller said.
