Rajkot: A popular favourite on street-food menus and in countless kitchens, noodles have come under the scanner after civic health officials uncovered unhygienic production practices at a manufacturing unit.In a crackdown on food adulteration and unhygienic food-handling practices, the health branch of the food department of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) inspected 30 commercial food establishments across the city and seized and destroyed 841 kg of inedible, stale and expired food items.During the drive, health officials raided Bharti Foods and Beverages, a manufacturing unit located near Madhapar Chowkdi on Jamnagar Road, where they found poor storage practices and unsanitary conditions. Approximately 800 kg of stale noodles was seized and destroyed on the spot using a solid waste management (SWM) vehicle. Officials also collected a sample of loose Hakka noodles for laboratory analysis and imposed an administrative charge of Rs 10,000 on the unit.According to health officials, the noodles manufactured at the facility were packed and distributed to retail markets. However, the inspection revealed that it was being prepared and dried in open, unhygienic conditions, with inadequate attention to cleanliness by those involved in the processing.Officials warned that consuming food prepared or handled under such conditions could pose a risk to public health, including the possibility of intestinal illnesses.The municipal corporation said the enforcement drive was aimed at curbing food adulteration, ensuring hygienic food production and protecting consumers from potentially unsafe food products.
