According to the family of the deceased, he developed uneasiness after consuming a shawarma, which he ordered online from a restaurant in Kochi.
Published Oct 26, 2023 | 1:40 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 26, 2023 | 2:22 PM
A restaurant in Kerala being inspected after several instances of food poisoning were reported in the state. (KB Jayachandran/South First)
After a lull of a few months, food poisoning is back in the news in Kerala. A 22-year-old man, who had been under treatment for suspected food poisoning after eating a shawarma, died in Kochi on Wednesday, 25 October, the police said.
The deceased man was identified as Rahul, a resident of Teekoy in Kottayam district.
According to his family, he developed uneasiness after consuming a shawarma, which he ordered online from a restaurant in Kochi on 18 October.
Shawarma is a popular street food in the Middle East that has many takers in the southern state.
After undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kakkanad near Kochi since Sunday, he breathed his last on Wednesday.
Thrikkakara police said that they registered a case against the restaurant in Mavelipuram on Monday, based on a complaint by the man’s family, and the municipality authorities shut down the hotel the next day.
“We can ascertain whether the shawarma was the reason for the alleged food poisoning only after receiving the postmortem report,” a police officer said.
Further action would be taken after the medical report is received, the officer added.
In January this year, following several reports of food poisoning incidents across the state, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government had mandated health cards for eateries and workers related to food businesses.
The government issued the first order making health cards mandatory from 1 February; however, following postponements twice, it was mandated from 1 April.
In an order issued on 29 March, Kerala Health Minister Veena George mandated health cards for all food handlers in food business operations in the state.
Since typhoid vaccination is one of the stipulations necessary for the issue of health cards, the vaccine has been made available at cheap rates through Karunya pharmacies.
The issue gained attention following two food poisoning-related deaths in the state in early January.
During that time, the Food Safety Department (FSD) blamed both customers and vendors equally for the incidents.
Vendors, on the other hand, were speaking of the need for a major overhaul in the food processing methods being followed in the state, as well as food consuming habits of the people — some incidents of food poisoning came from restaurant food that was consumed much later and poorly refrigerated in the interim.
It is for this reason that some vendors now refuse to provide perishable dips like mayonnaise in takeaway orders.
An assistant commissioner of food safety, who spoke to South First then, on condition of anonymity, pointed out that most incidents of food poisoning happened among those who consumed non-vegetarian food, especially dishes like Al Faham (or barbequed) chicken, kuzhimanthi (a version of a Yemeni rice dish), and the popular shawarma, which is loaded with mayonnaise.
“In some food poisoning cases, it’s the people who need to be held liable,” the assistant commissioner said.
“Meat products tend to spoil quickly. So, it is better to consume it as early as possible,” the officer said. He added, “In some cases, we found that the sufferer or sufferers consumed non-veg food after much delay. This affects that food’s time and temperature control, resulting in bacterial growth and thereby causing foodborne illnesses.”
“The higher the exposure time of such food, the higher the chance of it getting contaminated,” he stated.
The officer said that the Commissionerate of Food Safety in Kerala, responsible for food safety and standards in the state, is drawing up a plan to make people aware of TCS — temperature control for safety.
According to the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA), it is high time that the state government ensured food safety from farm to table.
“It’s a food chain that extends from the farm to the final consumer. Preventing food contamination and reducing the risk of foodborne diseases at all stages should be ensured by the government. Blaming food vendors alone for contamination will do no good,” G Jayapal, KHRA president, told South First.
At the same time, taking note of mayonnaise-related food poisoning incidents, Jayapal said that the KHRA is thinking about not giving the same as take away parcels. It also wants the FSD to conduct a study on the matter.
“Mayonnaise from food outlets is a highly perishable dip. It should be consumed within two hours. But some people consume it long after that, in some cases a day or two after its preparation. To avoid food poisoning, we plan not to give it in parcels. But government approval is needed for that,” said Jayapal.
According to food safety officers at the district level that South First spoke to at that time, some of the main reasons for food poisoning they found during their inspections were:
“Hygienic food handling is the key. Care should also be taken to avoid cross-contamination, if any, in the kitchen and serving area. We came across one such incident in which a food vendor used the same cutting board for raw and cooked/grilled meat,” said a food safety officer.
Another area that food vendors have been found wanting is pest control, he added.
(With PTI inputs)
