Stale chicken, rotten vegetables, rat-bitten food found at Dehradun restaurant

Inspectors found stale food, rat-bitten items and filthy conditions at Handi restaurant in Dehradun's Doon Club. The owner received a 14-day improvement notice as authorities moved towards closure and licence action.Suprise inspection at Dehradun's Handi restaurant.Stale chicken, spoiled vegetables, week-old ingredients for momos and chow mein, and food bearing rat bite marks were among the items found during a surprise inspection at a restaurant at Dehradun's Doon Club.A joint team of the District Legal Services Authority and the Food Safety Department inspected the Handi restaurant after Health Secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey ordered checks to ensure compliance with food safety regulations.The team found around five kilograms of stale rice and chicken curry that was two to three days old. Ingredients used to prepare momos and chow mein were also reportedly around a week old.Several vegetables, including cabbage, radish, capsicum and potatoes, were also found in poor condition inside the freezer. Some food items had been stored in open containers and bore rat bite marks, according to the inspection team. Cockroaches were found in the kitchen, while the drains were clogged. Restaurant staff also failed to produce medical fitness and pest control certificates during the inspection.The team destroyed the stale food items on the spot and collected three samples of paneer, milk and chicken curry for laboratory testing. Restaurant owner Abhay Singh Negi has been issued a 14-day improvement notice.Authorities are also taking steps to close the restaurant and suspend or revoke its licence.The inspections at the Dehradun restaurant is the latest in a series of food safety raids being conducted at food establishments across major cities, with authorities stepping up checks on kitchen hygiene, food storage and compliance with safety requirements.- Ends