Officials from the Food Safety Department seized 1,566 kilograms of stale meat from a train arriving from New Delhi at the Chennai Central railway station on Monday. The mutton, which lacked a proper seal and a veterinarian’s certificate, was flagged for its questionable quality.The department has urged railway authorities to ensure that all perishable goods transported by train include detailed sender and receiver information before dispatch. This request came after the unclaimed meat shipment arrived in Chennai on Saturday via the Tamil Nadu Express train from New Delhi. The meat, along with a batch of mushrooms, was found to be infested with worms and emitted a foul odor. “The stale meat and mushrooms will be disposed of at the Kodungaiyur dumpyard,” stated R. Satheesh Kumar, the designated food safety officer for Chennai.
Satheesh Kumar further explained that meat shipments must be properly certified and sealed by a veterinarian when a goat is slaughtered. Additionally, such perishable items should be stored in a deep freezer at -18 degrees Celsius and packed with ice during transportation. However, these protocols were not followed in the case of the seized meat.
“These items are often supplied to roadside eateries and hotels,” Satheesh Kumar noted. “As per food safety norms, these food items must have clear details of the sender and receiver, but none were found in this case. We have requested railway officials to ensure that perishable commodities are transported only when accompanied by complete documentation.”
In response to the broader issue of perishable goods being transported across the country to supply roadside eateries and hotels, the Food Safety Department plans to raise awareness among vendors. “We recently conducted an awareness program for roadside vendors at the Amma Maligai in Ripon Building,” Satheesh Kumar added. “We will also organize training sessions for vendors who sell non-vegetarian items and chaat, to ensure they comply with food safety standards.”
This initiative is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to improve food safety standards and protect public health in the region.