Aug 11, 2025
SRINAGAR: Breaking its silence finally, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has voiced strong concern over what it described as the growing menace of sub-standard and rotten meat being supplied and sold across the Valley, calling it a direct threat to public health and a serious breach of consumer trust.
The Chamber has urged the authorities to impose stringent, deterrent, and exemplary punishments on those involved in such practices, as well as on those who knowingly pass unsafe products to consumers.
The issue has gained renewed urgency following the recent seizure of 1,200 kilograms of rotten meat in Zakura. The Chamber said it immediately took up the matter with the concerned authorities, resulting in the registration of an FIR at Zakura Police Station against those implicated.
However, KCCI noted that the Zakura incident is far from isolated. Across Kashmir, enforcement agencies have in recent months seized thousands of kilograms of rotten meat, stale fish, and low-cost dressed chicken unfit for human consumption. In several cases, the meat was found to be treated with colouring agents to make it appear fresh — chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic, adding a dangerous long-term health risk.
The Chamber has also highlighted the absence of certification to confirm whether the meat being sold is halal, warning that without proper verification mechanisms, consumers are left uncertain about the source, slaughtering process, and overall quality of the meat in markets. KCCI said the lack of transparency not only raises religious and ethical concerns but also undermines public confidence in the meat supply chain.
The organisation further pointed to the influx of uncertified, low-cost dressed chicken from outside the Valley, which it said not only poses food safety risks but also inflicts heavy financial losses on local poultry farmers. It has demanded an immediate ban on such imports.
“These are not mere lapses in quality control but deliberate acts that endanger lives for profit,” the Chamber said, stressing that restoring consumer confidence will require coordinated action between authorities, the business community, and the public to ensure strict adherence to food safety standards.
KCCI maintained that the safety, health, and trust of the people must take precedence over all other considerations and warned that those compromising these values through the sale of unsafe or adulterated products must face the strictest possible legal consequences. -(KL)
