Food poisoning in Kerala: Another woman dies, allegedly after eating kuzhimanthi

Sreeparvathy was initially undergoing treatment at a local private hospital, from where she was taken to a hospital in Mangaluru, where she died.

“A case has been registered after her parents filed the complaint. The girl died early Saturday morning,” police told PTI, adding that further action will be taken based on the post-mortem report.

Health minister reacts

State Health Minister Veena George, who has been battling the spate of recent instances of food poisoning by ordering statewide inspections, issue of notices, and even closures of restaurants, has ordered a probe into the latest incident.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George. (Facebook)

“Directions have been issued to the Food Safety Commissioner to file a report with regard to the incident. The DMO (district medical officer) is also looking into the incident and the treatment given to the girl,” George told reporters at Pathanamthitta.

She added that the licenses of the hotels responsible will be cancelled under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA).

George had, on 3 January, ordered “widespread” inspections across all 14 districts of the state and sought action against outlets operating without a licence or serving adulterated and unhygienic food.

The Food Safety Department subsequently conducted inspections at 429 eateries across the state and shut down 43. The licenses of 22 other establishments lacking cleanness were also suspended.

Notices were also issued to 138 institutions and 44 food samples were sent for testing.

Earlier cases

The inspection overdrive came in the wake of the death of Reshmi Raj, a young nurse in Kottayam, who allegedly died of food poisoning after eating at a restaurant.

In Pathanamthitta, over 100 people suffered from suspected food poisoning on 1 January, after allegedly partaking of a meal at a baptism even in a church near Keezhvaipur.

The affected people, most of whom fell ill after returning home from the event, were admitted to various hospitals in the district.

Police registered cases under sections 268, 272 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code against the catering agency which supplied food at the function, and collected samples from the venue.

Earlier, in December, again in Kottayam, some 21 people fell ill after allegedly consuming food at an eatery.

In the case of the Kottayam nurse, while her parents claimed it was a case of food poisoning and that she had eaten food from the same eatery as the 21 others, the police said there was no material or evidence to confirm either allegation.

While there have been several other cases in the past few  months, the focus on food poisoning began after the death in May last year of a 17-year-old schoolgirl after consuming “rotten shawarma” at a food stall in Cheruvathur town of Kasaragod district.

(With inputs from PTI)