The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has intensified food-safety inspections across restaurants, eateries, food courts and key food markets as part of West Bengal’s week-long Food Safety Week, which ran from September 1 to 8. The drive found storage and labelling violations at several establishments, prompting officials to discard frozen meat, fish, cooked food and other items deemed unsafe or improperly stored. On September 6, KMC teams inspecting eateries on Bentinck Street and Waterloo Street found at least two restaurants storing cooked food contrary to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) requirements.
Refrigerated items at the establishments also lacked mandatory labels. The eateries were given a week to make corrections, failing which their licences could be temporarily suspended. Meanwhile, inspections at South City, Acropolis and Metropolis malls found food storage and kitchen hygiene to be satisfactory. The campaign has received support from restaurant-industry representatives, although some eatery managers have questioned the application of labelling rules to freshly procured meat intended for same-day use.
What Did The Inspections Find?
During the Bentinck Street and Waterloo Street inspections, KMC officials discarded frozen chicken, mutton and ready-made gravy after identifying concerns over storage practices. A senior KMC health department official said, “In at least two restaurants in central Calcutta, cooked food was not stored in keeping with” FSSAI regulations. At one restaurant, a gravy had reportedly frozen into a solid block, while refrigerated items did not carry labels indicating when they had been stored. Notices were issued, giving the restaurants seven days to make the required changes.
The wider inspection drive has also exposed other concerns. At Big Boss restaurant in Tangra, KMC officials earlier discarded nearly 500kg of refrigerated chicken and prawns because the stock lacked required labels, resulting in the restaurant being temporarily closed. On Park Street, inspectors found meat and fish stored without labels and issued notices to two eateries. KMC Commissioner Smita Pandey said the civic body wants to inspect every restaurant and eatery in the city at least once before Durga Puja.
A Wider Crackdown Ahead Of Durga Puja
The Kolkata inspections are part of a larger statewide campaign launched amid concerns over food adulteration and hygiene ahead of Durga Puja. By September 4, more than 2,300 establishments across West Bengal had been inspected and 1,277 samples collected, according to state health department figures. Authorities had sealed 17 establishments, prohibited food sales at 16 others and cancelled five licences over violations including stale meat and fish, unhygienic kitchens, expired ingredients and the use of harmful colours. Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee said the punitive measures were temporary and that licences could be restored once establishments complied with corrective measures.
The KMC’s latest inspections have also moved beyond restaurants. On the final day of the drive, teams visited Gariahat’s fish market, Posta’s spice market and Bowbazar’s Chhana Patti. Undated frozen fish and meat were destroyed at Gariahat, while expired and improperly labelled products were discarded at Posta. At Bowbazar, officials reportedly found worm-infested paneer and artificially coloured khoya among products removed during checks.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Food safety is not simply a matter of regulatory compliance; it is fundamentally about public health and trust. Surprise inspections can play an important role in protecting consumers, particularly before a festival season when restaurant and food-market footfall rises sharply. At the same time, enforcement should be transparent, consistent and accompanied by clear guidance so that smaller businesses understand exactly what is expected of them.
The voices of restaurateurs and vendors also deserve to be heard, especially where rules are being applied to freshly procured food intended for same-day consumption. A fair system should protect consumers without unnecessarily threatening livelihoods, while making repeat or serious violations accountable. Do you think regular food-safety inspections, clearer guidelines and stronger accountability can help Kolkata’s eateries build greater trust with customers?
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