Kerala Food Safety Crisis: Vizhinjam Deaths Highlight Staff Shortage

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Vizhinjam Deaths Expose Kerala's Critical Food Safety Staff Shortage

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News18•21-02-2026, 10:00

Vizhinjam Deaths Expose Kerala's Critical Food Safety Staff Shortage

•Two deaths from alleged food poisoning in Vizhinjam highlight severe understaffing in Kerala's Food Safety Department.
•Kerala has over 5 lakh registered food units but only around 170 Food Safety Officers (FSOs) for inspections.
•FSSAI guidelines recommend one FSO per 1,000 units; Kerala has one FSO for 4,000 to 10,000 units.
•State government plans to appoint 42 more FSOs from the existing PSC rank list to address the shortage.
•Shortage leads to uninspected high-risk businesses, inadequate audits, and delayed license cancellations.

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