CHENNAI: The Avadi police have booked the owner of the Hyderabad-based private firm, Saroja Caterers Hospitality Services, contracted with supplying breakfast for sanitary workers in Avadi corporation after a dead lizard was found in the sambar served for breakfast on Wednesday at the serving location at Paruthipattu Eco Park.
A case has been booked under Sections 274 (adulteration of food or drink), 275 (sale of noxious food), and 125 (act endangering life or personal safety through negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with Section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, the police said. The Avadi corporation, on its part, has issued a show-cause notice to the firm.
Corporation Commissioner R Saranya said the five sanitary workers — four women and one man — who were admitted to the Avadi Government Hospital following the incident are stable. “Only one female worker experienced vomiting. She had high BP and panicked. We believe that may have caused the vomiting.
None of them had food poisoning. The four contract staff who prepare the food also usually consume it; yesterday too, they had the food. But they were fine,” she said. Around 45 other workers also went to the hospital out of panic after noticing the lizard, the commissioner said, adding they did not show any symptoms of food poisoning but were screened and sent back.
Samples of both the cooked food and the ingredients used in the kitchen have been collected by the food safety department and sent for testing at a laboratory in Palayamkottai. The police said the samples will also undergo chemical examination, and further action, including arrests, will be taken based on the test results.
When asked about the complaints of worms being found in the food from the same serving location, the commissioner acknowledged the corporation had received such a complaint three weeks ago, but no evidence was found to substantiate it. The corporation had served a show-cause notice on the firm at that time as well, she added.
The commissioner also noted they have planned training on Friday and Saturday for all workers involved in handling food, including Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and noon meal workers, on maintaining hygiene and the precautions to be taken while cooking, serving, and storing ingredients.
