Kashmir, which used to consume around 6,000 tons of mutton daily, now sells barely 1,000 tons following a shocking rotten meat scandal that has shaken the food industry in the valley.

Rotten Meat Scandal Shuts Down Restaurants and Vendors

The scandal has severely impacted the Rs 100-crore hotel, restaurant, and vendor mutton industry, after authorities seized over 13,000 kg of decomposed mutton and thousands of frozen chickens. The public’s fear of consuming outside food has left restaurants and street vendors almost deserted.

From Srinagar to the remotest corners of Kashmir, from large hotels to small roadside eateries, businesses have reported an 80–85% decline in the sale of mutton, chicken, and other non-vegetarian foods. Restaurants, once bustling with patrons enjoying dishes like wazwan, rogan josh, and kebabs, are now nearly empty, with some reporting a drop from 600 to just 60 customers daily. Restaurant owners are questioning the Food Safety Department, asking why routine inspections were not carried out.

Omee Baba, a restaurant owner, said, “Almost 80% of our sales have gone down, not just mutton, but people are now hesitant to eat anything outside. We have three generations in this business, but people are scared. The Food Safety Department should have conducted checks regularly. News aired that every top hotel was involved, generalizing the issue, which has caused irreparable damage to the industry.”

Public Distrust Rises Amid Food Safety Concerns

The crisis began in mid-July when raids uncovered rotten meat in storage units and restaurants, triggering widespread public distrust. The surge in new restaurants in Kashmir over recent years had popularized eating out, especially among younger consumers in their teens, 20s, and early 30s. These restaurants offered a variety of cuisines, including Chinese, Indian, European, and Middle Eastern, alongside traditional Kashmiri dishes like wazwan, primarily using mutton and chicken.

According to the Food and Supplies Department, Kashmiris consume around 60 tons of mutton daily, half of which is imported from other states, along with 22 tons of chicken, 12 tons imported. After the scandal, imported supplies fell drastically, with consumption dropping significantly to just 5 ton both of mutton and chicken, even for Food Safety Department-approved meat.

Hotels and Restaurants Struggle to Recover

Tariq Ahmed, Secretary of the Hotels and Restaurants Club of Kashmir, said, “The rotten meat incident has scattered the industry. We have only 10–15% of normal business. The dressed chicken culture has suffered a huge setback, and most restaurants have no work. We appeal to the government to identify those involved in this trade, so the entire industry does not suffer for the mistakes of a few.”

Small roadside hoteliers and vendors have been hit the hardest. Many have switched to vegetarian menus to retain customers. Khayam Street, once Kashmir’s most popular barbecue hub, now sees minimal activity. A shop that used to sell 200 barbecues daily now sells just 10–20, with total daily sales falling from around Rs 1 lakh to just Rs 10,000.

Sachin Kumar, a roadside mutton vendor on Khayam Street, said, “Business has fallen to 20%. The meat used to come from outside, which has now stopped. People doubt the quality of any meat sold, so they now prefer vegetables.”

Efforts to Rebuild Trust

Efforts to rebuild trust include social media campaigns and partnerships with food influencers showcasing hygiene standards and meat sourcing. However, damage to public confidence and Kashmir’s culinary heritage remains. Restaurateurs are demanding stricter regulations, local slaughterhouses, and transparent supply chains.

Advocate Farooq Reshi, a restaurant customer, said, “We appeal to the government to protect public health. Youngsters are taking medications because of unsafe food. We loved eating mutton, but after this scandal, even home-cooked meals are suspect.”

Food Safety Department’s Response

The Jammu and Kashmir Food Safety Department, responding to the scandal, conducted raids along Srinagar, seizing over 13,000 kg of rotten and unlabeled mutton, thousands of dressed chickens, and rotten fish. A significant seizure included 1,200 kg of decomposed meat from Sunshine Foods in Zakoora, Srinagar. Additionally, the Food Safety Department also seized over 51,000 kg of adulterated food, including counterfeit rasgullas and fake cheese, from across Jammu and Kashmir.

Hilal Ahmad Mir, Assistant Commissioner of the Food Safety Department, said, “We found consignment of decomposed meat without labels. The meat that used to come from outside was checked, and additional seizures were made. We also discovered synthetic food colors being used in kababs and rista, 3,500 kababs were seized. These were unsafe for consumption. Sheep and chicken raised locally are safe. We have recovered fines totaling Rs 8 lakh and filed FIRs. Inspections of local butchers are ongoing to ensure hygiene, and our actions will continue.”

Judicial Oversight and Enforcement Measures

Following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, the department was directed to respond within four days (by August 25, 2025) on measures to prevent the sale of unsafe meat. The FSSAI was also impleaded, signaling judicial oversight.

The department is working to dismantle the network of traders compromising public health for profit. To enforce food safety laws, the Food Safety Department has stepped up inspections of restaurants, slaughterhouses, and storage units, strengthened supply chain monitoring, and deployed modern testing facilities to detect unsafe or adulterated food. However, critics argue that the response was delayed, and there is still limited transparency regarding arrests or the identities of those responsible for the racket.

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