Key Development

The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has ordered every hotel in the State to ensure that all employees—cooks, food handlers, kitchen assistants, and serving staff—receive mandatory enteric fever (typhoid) vaccination. The directive aims to curb infection risks and strengthen public health protection.

Mandatory Vaccination and Certification

The FSDA has instructed hotel managements to verify that every worker is vaccinated and to collect a medical certificate confirming immunisation. District-level Food Safety officials will inspect these certificates during routine checks. Employees must repeat the vaccination every two years to maintain continued immunity. To facilitate this, hotel owners must provide a ₹500 allowance per employee for the vaccination. Officials said the order follows recent reports of suspected enteric fever clusters allegedly linked to food service personnel in restaurants across Tamil Nadu. The FSDA stated that these preventive measures are necessary to reduce the chances of contamination and illness.

Reinforced Hygiene and Safety Protocols

The circular reminded all food businesses to:

• Maintain valid food safety licences and renew them on time

• Avoid using artificial colouring agents

• Uphold sanitary standards in cooking areas, storage units, handwashing stations, and restrooms

Food handlers must also wear gloves and hair coverings whenever they prepare or serve food.

Restrictions on Symptomatic Employees

Employees showing symptoms of fever or any infectious disease must be immediately removed from food-handling duties until a medical professional clears them. The State government has urged full compliance and warned that inspections will intensify. Officials said that non-compliance may attract penal action, as the priority is to safeguard public health amid rising concerns over foodborne illnesses.

Source: DT Text