Food Safety Dept inspects three Indore schools:Collects 22 food samples, shuts hostel mess operating without mandatory food licence

The Food Safety Department has intensified inspections of school kitchens and hostels in Indore after students reportedly fell ill following a meal at a reputed school. Acting on the Collector’s directions, officials are conducting a special inspection drive at school messes and canteens across the city. As part of the campaign, teams inspected three schools and collected 22 food samples for laboratory testing. Authorities also ordered the immediate suspension of food operations at one school’s hostel mess after finding that it was operating without the mandatory food licence. Hostel mess found operating without food licence On Wednesday, officials inspected the hostel mess at Agrawal Public School on Bicholi Mardana Road in the presence of school manager Kalicharan Tiwari. The team found that meals were being prepared for hostel students despite the mess lacking a valid food licence. Officials also found that: The department collected 12 food samples, including poha, chana dal, toor dal, wheat flour, chickpeas, rajma, black salt, iodised salt, red chilli sauce, soy sauce, turmeric powder and coriander powder. The hostel mess was ordered to cease all food operations with immediate effect until it obtains a valid food licence. Samples collected from 2 other schools The inspection team also visited Vibgyor School in Scheme No. 78, where hygiene and food storage arrangements were found to be satisfactory. Five samples—including chana dal, moong dal, gram flour, wheat flour and rice—were collected for testing. Another inspection was carried out at Sica Higher Secondary School, also located in Scheme No. 78. Officials collected five samples from the school mess, including chole curry, ghee, toor dal, rice and soybean oil. Samples sent for laboratory testing All 22 food samples collected during the inspections will be sent to the State Food Testing Laboratory for analysis. The inspection teams also issued necessary food safety guidelines to the school authorities. Collector urges public to report food safety violations Indore Collector Shivam Verma appealed to parents and the public to report any suspected food safety violations in schools, hostels or other food establishments. He urged citizens to use the Collector Helpline (0731-181), the CM Helpline, the FoSCoS portal, or other available grievance platforms so that prompt action can be taken against violations.