Kathmandu, January 5

The Office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City seized a huge quantity of rotten and unhygienic goat meat during a raid conducted in Sundhara area today.

According to the KMC, around 500 kg of meat was confiscated from three meat shops situated in the western side of Dharahara, Kathmandu-22. The inspection and monitoring team of the metropolis seized the meat as it was emitting foul odour and was unfit for human consumption.

Three of five meat shops operated by Salamun Ansari and Sakeem Ansari had put the rotting meat for sale. “The duo had kept the putrid goat meat in freezers by covering them with fresh meat. The sample of meat has been sent to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control for test while the rest was destroyed and buried,” said the KMC.

Salamun and Sakeem have been arrested for further investigation. During the inspection, some meat shops were also found selling buff outdoors in Tebahal. Butchers were not clad in apron and protective gloves.

They have been warned to maintain personal hygiene, said Hari Kumar Shrestha, chief of Public Health Division at the KMC.

The officials also carried out monitoring of fish, buff and pork (pig meat) shops in Khichaphokhari and found many things lacking there in terms of hygiene.

Birendra Khadgi, treasurer of Fish and Meat Traders’ Association of Nepal, many meat shops were in need of improvement and alleged that consumers were also not health-conscious. “Consumers do not go to the shops where the meat is not displayed openly,” he said.

If any defect or disease is found in the meat of slaughtered animal upon examination, the meat Inspector may partially or completely prohibit the sale or distribution of such meat as per the Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act-1999.

According to Market-led Quality Meat Production and Processing Study conducted by Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in 2010, average per capita consumption of meat (buff, mutton, chicken and pork) in Kathmandu is 16 kg.