“The tails on the meat were exactly like a dog’s and since the skin was removed and legs chopped off, we got confused. We later came to know that a species of goats in Rajasthan has long tails like dogs,” a Food Safety Department source said.

According to Dr R Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Food Safety Department, “Since the meat was transported in an unhygienic condition, we destroyed them as per norms.”

Meanwhile, Chennai Collector A Shanmugasundaran said, “Chief Health Inspector of Southern Railway had certified the meat as unfit for human consumption. The animals were not slaughtered in authorised abattoirs and the cold chain was not maintained throughout the travel. Also, the meat was wrongly marked as ‘fish’.” The Collector also said that the Food Safety Department would release a detailed guideline for transporting meat from other districts and states. 

“Food Safety and Standards Act has clear guidelines pertaining to the transportation of food products. We will release the guidelines after Gaja relief work,” Kathiravan said.