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| From highway to airway: Flow of unhygienic mutton going unabated in Kashmir | | |  Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 7: The unchecked flow of unhygienic mutton continues in the Kashmir Valley despite recent enforcement actions. With the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44)—the Valley’s only all-weather road—closed due to multiple landslides and flash floods caused by heavy rainfall, traders have now resorted to air transport to smuggle questionable meat. On Sunday, authorities seized over 300 kilograms of unlabelled, unhygienic mutton from Srinagar airport.
The Jammu and Kashmir Food Safety Department confiscated 340 kilograms of unlabelled, packaged meat that had been flown into Srinagar and was destined for a trader in Aali Kadal, in the city’s downtown area. The consignment was intercepted following a tip-off from sales tax officials stationed at the airport.
“The meat was frozen but lacked the mandatory labelling required by food safety regulations. The packaging did not meet prescribed norms, so the trader’s licence has been suspended. A sample has been collected for detailed testing, and further action will be initiated under the law,” said Yamin Un Nabi, Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety.
The absence of proper labelling means that crucial information such as the origin, slaughter method, packaging date, and preservatives used is missing, posing a serious health risk to consumers.
This crackdown follows a similar operation in July when rotten meat was discovered in Srinagar's Zakura area. In that case, two traders were booked by the police, and the licences of over a dozen others were suspended by the Food Safety Department. Following the exposé, traders dumped the contaminated meat across various locations in the Valley and halted its transportation along the NH-44—where it had gone undetected for years.
“After the crackdown, the transportation of packaged and unlabelled meat in the Valley had stopped. This trader attempted to bypass the ban by using air cargo, but thanks to the coordination between sales tax officials and the food safety department, swift action was taken,” Nabi added.
On August 21, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Smita Sethi, issued a directive strictly banning the distribution and sale of packaged food products without complete labelling. The order cited grave public health concerns and mandated strict compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2020.
“All food business operators—including manufacturers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, cold storage operators, transporters, and e-commerce entities—must ensure full labelling of products as per the prescribed norms. Non-compliance will invite strict legal action,” the order warned.
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has also taken cognizance of the issue following a public interest litigation filed in the court.
Food safety officials stated that random checks will continue in marketplaces across the region to ensure strict adherence to regulations. On Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir police registered 12 FIRs in various police stations in Anantnag district under relevant food safety and hygiene laws after violations were uncovered. |
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