KOCHI: Serving stale food has become a regular affair in the city’s hotels and restaurants, but due to non-reporting of cases, the number of cases registered does not give a clear picture, said officials.
So far, four food poison cases have been reported in the Corporation limits in May itself. “Though we have received only four complaints from four different food safety regions in Ernakulam district, the actual figures will be more than that. Catering firms supplying food to events across the city are the main culprits. As most of the food poisoning cases are being reported eight hours after the food intake, we are facing difficulty in seizing the remains of the food. Most of the time, the raw materials used for the food will also be removed; making it tough to make a strong case,” said a senior food safety officer, on condition of anonymity.
Echoing the same, many victims are citing the delay in the recovery of their health as the main reason for shying away from reporting the case. “I consumed a snack and tea from a hotel in Kochi and fell ill by night. I took more than a day to recover and it doesn’t make any sense to complain when you are certain about the unavailability of food materials,” said a food poison victim in Kochi.
However, Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) maintained many of these are one-off cases and they have been taking regular steps to ensure hygienic ambience in every hotel across the city.
“We have been receiving similar cases for years. With lakhs of people consuming food, it will be difficult to avert these cases. Even while preparing food at home, these kinds of mishaps can happen. Having said that, we have already distributed pamphlets of regulations to follow among our members. In addition, they are being regularly trained in hygiene measures under food safety officers,” said G Jayapal, general secretary, KHRA.
With the onset of monsoon, food safety officers are expecting more number of cases in the coming weeks. “Though we conveyed safety measures to the hoteliers, there are high chances they will be rampantly violated. In many cases in Kochi, it is the contaminated water which proved to be the villain. Many buildings are made in a congested manner and water tanks are often contaminated by septage. As many are storing Corporation water in underground tanks, there are high chances of faecal contamination in the city,” said the officer.