Tuticorine: In response to the temporary revocation of Food Safety License from KFC restaurant at a hypermarket complex in Tuticorin city on Thursday, KFC India has issued a clarification stating that the use of magnesium silicate as a clarifying agent is approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The fast food chain said in a statement that it is committed to following best practices and international standards while cooking. “High-quality oil and chicken are sourced from reputed suppliers in the country, and all applicable safety and quality standards set by FSSAI and other relevant authorities are strictly adhered to,” it said.
“With regard to the recent media reports, we would like to emphasise that the use of magnesium silicate as a clarifying agent is approved as per FSSAI guidelines. All KFC chickens, including marinated chicken, are safe to consume after cooking as per FSSAI standards. We are actively engaging with the authorities concerned for a speedy and effective resolution of the issue,” he said.
Meanwhile, food safety officer Mariappan contradicted the company’s claims. He told TOI that magnesium silicate is an additive permitted only for use in edible oil manufacturing industries and not in food industries, especially not with meat and used cooking oil. He said they inspected the restaurant because under the RUCO scheme, they report less than 100 litres of oil being reused per month, which raised suspicions for an outlet using over 1,300 litres of oil per month. “Also, the restaurant is not following the norms of defrosting frozen food, using items taken out of the freezer at minus 18 degrees Celsius for more than 48 hours, while the norm is to use them within 12 hours of removal,” he said.
“Samples of the used oil cleaned with the additive have already been sent for analysis and we have sufficient evidence against the distributor. If they cannot produce any evidence to the contrary during the inquiry at the food safety department office on Saturday, a complaint will be filed against them with the district judicial magistrate,” he added.
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