Official: 80% vendors selling illegally slaughtered meat

Guwahati: A staggering 80% of meat vendors in Guwahati are selling illegally slaughtered meat, putting the health of consumers at risk, a top government official has said. Dr Purnanada Konwar, the general manager of Assam Live Stock and Poultry Corporation, said, “The animals slaughtered at the designated abattoir undergo a meticulous seven-step procedure to ensure that the meat is safe for human consumption. However, a substantial portion of the meat sold in the city is illegally slaughtered without adhering to any safety norms. This can encompass the slaughtering of diseased animals, which is a significant health concern as deadly diseases can be transmitted to the consumers from the animals.” The city’s daily requirement of meat is primarily met by mutton, with an average of 1200 to 1500 goats being slaughtered each day. However, only a mere 12% of these animals are slaughtered at the designated slaughterhouse, where they undergo a rigorous seven-step procedure to ensure the meat’s safety. Konwar further highlighted that the use of untreated water in illegal slaughters is a major cause of infection. “In the designated center, treated water is employed to ensure that no water-borne diseases are transmitted to the consumers. The presence of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria in untreated water can cause food poisoning, diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal issues. Consumption of diseased animals can infect people with tuberculosis, as goats harbor that bacteria,” he explained.Dr Kailash Chamuah, the veterinary officer of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), acknowledged that some vendors are not following the food safety norms but expressed doubts about the high figures provided by the poultry corporation. “The GMC, responsible for ensuring food safety in the city, is set to launch an inspection drive to determine the exact number of illegal slaughtering cases. Notices have already been issued to 186 defaulter meat shops, demanding an explanation for not selling legally slaughtered meat,” he said. Apart from mutton, the city’s population of approximately 13 lakh requires around 35,000 poultry each day for meat, but only 1,000 are legally slaughtered on an average. Additionally, about 300 pigs are slaughtered daily at the designated site and sold at the corporation’s retail booths and authorized meat shops.The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (Regulation of Slaughterhouse) Bye-Laws, 2012, outline regulations for livestock slaughtering to ensure consumer safety and animal welfare. These rules prohibit the slaughtering of excessively old, pregnant and diseased animals. However, these regulations are widely violated across the city’s meat shops. Guwahati has around 185 licensed mutton shops, 408 poultry shops and 61 pork shops, while hundreds of meat shops operate in unhygienic conditions without any licence.