Action will be taken based on lab report, says DHO

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada DHO Dr HR Thimmaiah stated that legal action would be initiated against the ice cream factory in Adyar, if laboratory reports confirm that tender coconut water was unsafe for drinking. The DHO informed reporters on Friday, that a report on tender coconut water samples collected from the ice cream factory at Adyar is awaited. “We have sent the samples to Bengaluru for testing after many people who allegedly consumed tender coconut water from the unit, fell sick on April 8. If the lab reports confirm that the samples are unsafe for drinking, then legal action will be initiated against the unit under Section 59 of the Food Safety Act, by filing a private complaint in the district and sessions court,” the DHO said. While 137 people have fallen sick, 84 have been treated as outpatients in various hospitals and PHCs. Meanwhile, 53 people had availed treatment as inpatients, and 23 have been discharged from hospitals, he said, adding that the condition of all those who fell sick is stable. Soon after receiving a complaint via WhatsApp on April 10, a health department team visited the factory, collected samples, and sent them for testing. Meanwhile, all the outlets of the factory in Mangaluru and the production unit at Adyar have been closed until further notice, Dr Thimmaiah said.“We will conduct chemical, biochemical, and bacterial analysis of the samples. The tests conducted on blood and stool samples collected from the patients have ruled out cholera. We will continue culture tests to find the bacteria that caused sickness, including diarrhoea, vomiting, and fever. A particular batch of the tender coconut water sold on April 8 is suspected to have caused sickness among all those who drank it,” he said, adding that Asha workers and health staff have been asked to visit houses in Kannur, Pudu, Manchi, and surrounding areas. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) district designated officer for Dakshina Kannada, Dr Praveen Kumar CH, said that if the lab report indicates sub-standard quality, then a notice will be issued to them, and the additional DC court will hear the case. A fine of up to Rs 5 lakh can be imposed, and the personnel concerned may also face a maximum jail term of six years, he said.Following complaints of food poisoning and students falling sick in Valacchil hostels in February, DK DC Mullai Muhilan MP had directed educational institutions with hostels to submit an affidavit on the quality of food in their hostels. Accordingly, 403 hostels have submitted their affidavits in the district, the DHO said.
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