Operation Thelima
Why in News?
The operation has made recent headlines due to a widespread crackdown and surprise inspections conducted by food safety officials across multiple districts in Kerala, including Kollam, Kozhikode, and Wayanad.
Kery Information
- Primary Objective: To ensure absolute compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, eradicate adulteration, eliminate the reuse of toxic cooking oil, and penalise eateries operating in unhygienic environments.
- Focus on Cooking Oil Quality: A primary focus of the operation is checking used cooking oil. Under the regulations, the Total Polar Compounds (TPC) level in cooking oil must not exceed 25%. Officials use specialised TPC meters and mobile testing laboratories to instantly verify oil quality.
- Enforcement Mechanism: The state has deployed six specialised mobile squads tasked with conducting surprise inspections, gathering samples, and taking instant punitive actions against violators.
- Recent Major Actions Taken:
- Kollam: Inspected 96 establishments, leading to the immediate closure of 8 shops operating without mandatory licences or medical certificates, and issuing compounding fines to 14 unhygienic stores.
- Wayanad (Kalpetta): Suspended the licences of four food establishments and destroyed a substantial quantity of unhygienic foods, including worm-infested olives, contaminated salads, and improperly stored meat.
- Kozhikode: Inspected over 201 establishments, seized and destroyed hundreds of litres of unsafe used cooking oil, and imposed hefty fines (such as ₹1 lakh on a single unhygienic snack manufacturing unit).
- Penalties and Legal Framework: Under the Food Safety and Standards regulations, establishments found violating compliance rules face:
- Fines ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh for supplying food below prescribed standards, unhygienic food preparation, misleading advertisements, or operating without a valid license.
- Imprisonment and heavy criminal penalties for severe offences that result in food poisoning or public fatalities.
