Srinagar, Aug 16 (JKNS): The Jammu and Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (JKHARA) on Saturday pressed the government to establish a dedicated testing laboratory at Lakhanpur to monitor frozen meat and poultry consignments entering the Union Territory.
Addressing media in Srinagar, JKHARA vice-president Babar Chowdhary as per news agency JKNS said the association is committed to protecting consumer health and called for robust regulation of the meat supply chain.
He stressed the need for strict quality checks at the entry point, adding that unbranded frozen meat must be completely banned. “There should be real-time testing of hygiene, expiry dates, packaging and freshness before allowing consignments into J&K,” Chowdhary said.
The association further suggested tough legal action against violators, including cancellation of licenses, blacklisting of suppliers and prosecution under food safety laws.
“Consumer safety is our top priority. A zero-tolerance framework must be enforced to ensure no unsafe or substandard meat reaches Kashmir markets,” Chowdhary emphasized. (JKNS)
