Food Safety authorities in Keralam have uncovered critical hygiene violations and operational lapses during inspections at two main multiplexes in Kollam city, located at Jerome Nagar and RP Mall, respectively. Officials found that despite their polished exterior and premium pricing, the establishments failed to meet basic food safety standards.

At one of the multiplexes, inspectors discovered severe mishandling of food items, most notably open ice cream containers contaminated with dust, hair, and flies. Officials said that leaving such sensitive, ready-to-eat products uncovered inside freezer exposes them to falling condensation. Furthermore, the management had improperly stored vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items together in the same freezers without adequate separation.

Expired milk packets

The inspection team also recovered expired milk packets from the freezers. Although the establishment claimed that these items were intended for disposal, officials pointed out that they lacked proper labelling and were not segregated as mandated by safety protocols. The management was directed to immediately discard the compromised goods and strictly adhere to food-grade containment rules.

At the second location, the violations were even more severe, as the business was found to be operating entirely without a valid food safety licence.

The Food Safety department has said that rigorous inspections will continue across commercial and entertainment hubs in the city to crack down on substandard practices.

Authorities urged consumers to report irregularities, stressing that establishments charging premium rates must maintain uncompromised standards of hygiene and legal compliance.

Published – September 11, 2026 02:58 pm IST