Authorities destroy 1,600 kg of unfit buffalo meat in Budgam
The meat was intercepted at Budgam Railway Station after officials found cold-chain violations during a joint operation.
The Jammu and Kashmir Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Railway Police, and Budgam district administration seized and destroyed approximately 1,600 kg of buffalo meat at Budgam Railway Station on Saturday, according to reports by The Tribune and ThePrint.
The consignment, which arrived from Delhi in a parcel train, was found to be lacking the mandatory refrigeration or dry-ice required to maintain a temperature of -18°C or below. Railway Police SHO Baynazir Iqbal stated that 44 boxes of meat were recovered from the front bogie of the train and that the shipment lacked necessary documentation, including veterinary and FSSAI certificates.
Preliminary testing conducted via the Food Safety on Wheels facility indicated the meat was unfit for human consumption. The entire 1,600 kg shipment was destroyed following the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The railway police have registered an FIR under Section 271 of the BNS regarding the incident. A government spokesman said the FDA is maintaining strict vigilance across all districts to prevent the sale of unsafe food and will take legal action against violators.
This seizure follows a previous operation in Srinagar where authorities confiscated around 2,600 kg of meat. Last year, enforcement drives in the Valley resulted in the confiscation of nearly 13,000 kg of meat and related products.