Kerala Archives

Closures, Fines, and Inspections: Kerala’s Response to the Shigella Threat 0
- A to Z, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Health & Wellness, News
- June 18, 2026
Key Update Kerala has stepped up food safety inspections across districts following a rise in Shigella infections during the monsoon season. Authorities have launched enforcement drives, ordered outlet closures, and expanded surveillance activities in districts including Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram, and Thrissur. Following state-level directives to strengthen disease prevention measures, food safety officials have widened inspections across
READ MORE
Shigella Outbreak in Kerala: Why Health Officials Are on High Alert 0
- A to Z, Food Safety, General, Health & Wellness
- June 15, 2026
Kerala has witnessed a rise in Shigella infections over the past few weeks, prompting health authorities to strengthen surveillance, sanitation measures, and public awareness efforts across the state. As of mid-June 2026, the state has reported 135 confirmed Shigella cases and three deaths this year, with 59 cases and two deaths recorded during June alone.
READ MORE
Bluish-Black Discolouration in Cooked Ration Rice Triggers Concern in Kerala 0
- A to Z, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Health & Wellness, News
- May 8, 2026
Key Update Residents of Palappilly in the 10th ward of Melur panchayat in Thrissur have raised concerns after cooked rice prepared using ration rice reportedly turned dark bluish-black a few hours after cooking. Family Alerts Authorities After Colour Change According to the complaint, the family purchased the ration rice the previous day and cooked it
READ MORE

Drug-Resistant E. coli Found in Kerala Retail Chicken: Study Raises Alarm 0

Key Update A new study has raised serious food safety concerns in Kerala after detecting Escherichia coli (E. coli) in 54.17% of retail chicken samples tested across the state. Researchers analysed 600 samples collected between 2019 and 2023 from Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kollam and Pathanamthitta. The findings point to widespread bacterial contamination in

Five Years On, Kerala’s First Food Analytical Lab Yet to Function Fully 0

Key Development Kerala’s first Food Analytical and Research Laboratory under the Food Safety Department continues to function with serious limitations, even five years after its inauguration. Authorities laid the foundation stone at Valiya Velicham, Koothuparamba, Kannur, on February 28, 2019, and inaugurated the facility on October 24, 2020. However, the laboratory still lacks a fully

Kerala Declares Bacillus subtilis as State Microbe 0

Key Development Kerala has declared Bacillus subtilis, a probiotic or “good” bacterium found in the environment, the human gut, and fermented foods, as its official State Microbe. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the decision on Friday, making Kerala the first State in India to formally recognise a State microbe. The declaration came during the inauguration