SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) has expressed deep concern over what it described as the “growing menace” of sub-standard and rotten meat being sold across the Valley, calling it a grave threat to public health and a betrayal of consumer trust.
The reaction follows the recent seizure of 1,200 kilograms of rotten meat in Zakura, after which the Chamber intervened with authorities to ensure an FIR was lodged at Zakura Police Station. KCC&I said the incident is “just one among many” in recent months, with enforcement agencies uncovering thousands of kilograms of stale fish, rotten meat, and low-cost dressed chicken unfit for human consumption across Kashmir.
According to the Chamber, some of these products were treated with colouring agents to make them appear fresh — chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic. “Such practices are not lapses in quality control but deliberate acts endangering lives for profit,” the Chamber said.
The KCC&I also raised alarm over the lack of certification to confirm whether the meat being sold is halal, saying the absence of verification systems leaves consumers in doubt about the source, slaughtering process, and overall quality of meat in markets.
The body warned that the influx of uncertified, low-cost dressed chicken from outside the Valley is worsening the problem, compromising food safety and causing heavy losses to local poultry farmers.
Calling for an immediate ban on such imports and “stringent, deterrent, and exemplary punishment” for offenders, the KCC&I urged authorities to launch a coordinated crackdown on illegal practices. “The safety, health, and trust of the people must take precedence over all other considerations,” the Chamber said, stressing that restoring public confidence will require close cooperation between enforcement agencies, the business community, and the public.
—Ziraat Times News Service
