Ready to pay more?: Noida authority to crack down on ’flesh trade’

Prices of meat, fish and poultry items may go up as unlicensed shops face action

Ready to pay more?: Noida authority to crack down on 'flesh trade'

Prices of meat, fish and poultry items may go up as unlicensed shops face action

If you live in Noida, you'll have to go easy on the meat and potatoes (well, maybe not the potatoes) in the coming days. From May, Noida authority will start pulling down the shutters on all unlicensed meat-selling units in the area in order to tackle unhygienic retailing practices.

Effect on pocket: Meat prices may shoot up steeply, as sellers will
spend on seeking requisite licenses and established outlets will cash
in on the monopoly. Pic/Mid Day

The decision was made after the City Magistrate's meeting with the health department. Authorities say the step has been taken keeping in mind the ill-effects of having such street-side meat and also religious sentiments of people. "We have prepared a list and will start cracking down on all such meat shops. Such outlets have been running for years but will not be tolerated now onwards. Also in future we will take care that such shops don't flourish," said Sanjay Chauhan, City Magistrate.

'Shut shop'
On Monday, Chauhan in a meeting with the health department in Noida prepared a list of all the areas and shops where meat is sold openly without procuring required licenses. Large-scale defaulters include shops in sectors 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 37, Nithari, Chalera, Bhangell among others.

The drive, which will start in the first week of May, comes a few months after a MiD DAY investigation revealed how some restaurant owners are buying diseased and rotting birds at cheap rates from such vendors.
Rohini Sen, a health expert said, "Depending on what is growing on the meat, one could get anything from indigestion to diarrhoea and vomiting. This fear will always be there when it comes to meat sold on the street side. Special care should be taken while buying meat. One should look at spoilage as a warning that the food shouldn't be eaten. And one should always keep in mind that contaminated meat is not the same thing as spoilt meat. Spoiling leads to contamination."

The clean-up is expected to cause meat prices to shoot up steeply, as sellers will spend on seeking requisite licenses and established outlets will cash in on the monopoly. "We would be left with no option but to get a licence but this would definitely add to the cost. Also chances are that prices of non-vegetarian items may also shoot up in restaurants," said Gopal, a chicken seller in Noida, sector 4.

Chew on that!
Meat lovers have mixed reactions on the matter. "I think these local unauthorised shops sell stuff which is more hygienic than the fare at high-end outlets, as they have no fancy freezers," said Gajendra Chatterjee, a 30-year-old fish lover. "My fish seller always sold me the best stuff - the drive should not wipe out local sellers as a whole. They should only shut those shops which sell culled and rotten meat," he added. Mina Bhaduri, a homemaker, however, said, "I think it's a great measure - the next time I send my servant for meat shopping, I'll be able to heave a sigh of relief as the unlicensed shops would be gone."

Don't risk 'folw' play
How to spot an unauthorised meat shop:
*u00a0No proper storage facilities
* No licence displayed on the wall
* A permanent stink, characteristic of rotting
* A footpath vendor or a movable cart at your neighbourhoodu00a0 haat
* Such shops mostly don't have prominent signages
* They refuse to give away details of their suppliers when asked

Dead Meat
Investigations carried out by MiD DAY in January revealed that the chicken recipes served by a lot of restaurants and street food stalls across the Capital comprise dead chicken. The restaurant and street food stall owners buy the birds that usually die during transportation from the wholesalers in Paharganj area at throw away prices. A chicken that weighs 3 kilograms and costs around Rs 420 at your local meat shop is sold for just Rs 50 (Rs 15 per kg roughly )after its death.

A source working near Paharganj tipped off MiD DAY about how dead chicken are sold illegally to food joint owners. Mid Day reporters posing as newcomers in momo business, reached street number 13 of Multani Dhaandhi area of Paharganj at 5 am.u00a0 Throughout the night, trucks loaded with goods had queued up outside a weighing machine (Dharam Kaanta) and they included several trucks loaded with chicken. Till about 6 am, MiD DAY noticed nine trucks loaded with chicken coming to get their goods weighed. When inquired about dead chicken, the truck drivers said we will have to wait till they had sold live chicken at Nawab road wholesale market.

During that time, several food joint owners and attendants, who happened to be regular buyers of dead chicken, started coming in. MiD DAY picked up conversation with one of the persons who claimed to be working at Chinese food joint in Rajender Place.

"These chickens are as good as live ones you get in local market. The best thing is you get these at 1/10 the actual price. It is difficult to keep price of momo at Rs 30 per plate if you happen to buy chicken at Rs 140 per kg. So this is the best option to beat the price rise."