COIMBATORE: After the recent controversy over Nestle’s ‘Maggi’ noodles, the company found itself in more trouble on Tuesday after live weevils and larvae were found in a cereal product meant for infants.
S Sriram, an IT professional staying with his family in Selvapuram here, had bought the cereal — Cerelac (Wheat, Rice and Fruit Mix Flavor) from a pharmaceutical outlet near Perur. He had bought the cereal to feed his one-year-old son.
He told the media that he had bought the product on Sunday, and that his wife had opened the box on Monday.
When she noticed the live weevils inside the box, she discarded the food product. On returning home, Sriram found the box in the dustbin, and learned from his wife about the weevils in it (in pic).
The family checked the expiry date on the product and found that it was to expire in February 2016. Sriram then took the box of cereal to the Food Safety Wing.
Speaking to Express, R Kathiravan, designated officer of the Food Safety Wing in Coimbatore, said officials visited the pharmacy and the wholesale dealer from whom the pharmacist had procured the stock.
However, they were unable to find stocks from the same batch. The protocol entails samples from at least four packets.
As the officials were unable to find samples from the same batch, they would collect random samples, they said.
