Cuttack: The civic body on Saturday issued notices to seven restaurant and eatery owners after they were found selling food of "substandard quality".

Health officer Umesh Panigrahi said the notices were issued on the basis of reports on samples collected and tested in the mobile laboratory during raids on Friday. "The notices are intended to take written undertakings from the owners that they would improve the quality of their food within five to six days," said Panigrahi. "If there is no development within the stipulated time, penalty will be imposed and criminal proceedings initiated against them under the Food Safety Act."

Food Safety on Wheels - a minibus allocated to Odisha by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was in the city on Friday. It was equipped with lab apparatus.

Food safety officer (Cuttack) P.K. Pradhan said samples were picked up from restaurants, hotels, sweet kiosks and roadside eateries at Dolamundai, Badambadi and Link Road and tested. "Raids were conducted on 35 food units and samples were collected from 21 of them and tested in the mobile laboratory. In seven cases, the food was found to be of substandard quality," Pradhan said.

During the process, 70kg food items were destroyed.

Pradhan said the mobile laboratory was last used on June 29. It had then picked up samples from restaurants, hotels, sweets stalls and roadside eateries at College Square, Ranihat and Manglabag and those outside SCB Medical College and Hospital.

The food safety division under the health department had received the mobile lab in March and appointed a technician, an laboratory assistant, a helper and a driver.