Food safety shock

The ongoing seizure of rotten meat, chicken, and fish from multiple locations in Kashmir has roiled the public discourse in Kashmir, and rightly so. It is a kind of a betrayal of public trust that no one seemed to be prepared for. And it comes in the wake of the rise of an eating-out culture in the Valley in recent years and also amid a thriving food delivery business. What is more, Kashmir is a tourist place and thus eating out is inbuilt into the sector. Therefore, this crisis strikes at the heart of this ecosystem.

More raids and inspections have uncovered more stale and unhygienic meat. This was being transported across districts, and some of it was processed in bulk for dishes like kebab, ristas and goshtabas. The scale of the seizures shows a systemic failure. That the trade in this rotten meat was being carried out undetected for so long is deeply concerning. Questions must be asked, and answered, about how such consignments managed to bypass inspections, and why early warnings did not prevent them from reaching restaurants and food stalls.

The fallout has been swift and damaging. Customers are staying away, delivery orders are slowing, and genuine food businesses, built painstakingly over years, are paying the price for the greed and negligence of a few. The public mood is shifting dangerously towards the belief that all eateries are suspect. This perception, unless addressed head-on, could stick and, in turn, destroy livelihoods and undo years of growth in Kashmir’s hospitality sector.

This is precisely why the hotel and restaurant industry must do more than issue statements. It must act visibly and decisively. The Jammu and Kashmir Hotels and Restaurants Association and other trade bodies should openly identify and distance themselves from the culprits. ‘Name and shame’ should not be left to the government alone or the food safety department. Restaurants that follow high hygiene standards should voluntarily display their sourcing and inspection records, even inviting public visits to their kitchens. Remaining silent or defensive will only deepen the crisis. The industry must become a partner in enforcement, not merely a bystander waiting for the Food Safety Department to clean house.