By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 31: The state government has issued a seven-day deadline to butchers to comply with a High Court order prohibiting open display of animal carcasses in meat shops on grounds of hygiene, ethics and aesthetics.
“We will take action as per the provisions of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and Food Safety & Standards Rules & Regulations, 2011. If the meat sellers failed to comply with the directive within the seven-day deadline,” Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, DBS Mukhim told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
Mukhim said the order, issued on August 29, is based on the High Court’s order and states that hanging of carcass and the unhygienic display of meat and meat parts haphazardly in street side shops is not allowed.
She said that meat is considered to be a high risk food item and it attracts lots of harmful micro- organisms and the unhygienic display aggravates the problem.
“Surveillance samples of meat had been lifted for Laboratory analysis and as per report, the meat sample was found to be unsafe for consumption due to the presence of Yeast/Mould, E.Coli, Pseudomonas sp, Salmonella, etc,” she said.
Earlier, a division bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee in a judgment passed on May 26 stated that, “The state would do well to set an example and completely prohibit the display of animal carcasses in meat shops, though they may be stored in refrigerators or containers or even in showcases within the premises and not open to public view from outside…”