Just days after Salmonella bacteria were found in the food samples collected from a hotel closed down within their limits after over 100 people fell sick, the health officials of North Paravur municipality downed the shutters of another eatery on January 26.
This was after a person claiming to be a customer at Hotel Vasanth Vihar complained of finding a dead millipede in the food.
“Though we dispatched a junior health inspector to the eatery straight away, the official could neither find the complainant nor the contaminated food. We nevertheless directed the closure of the hotel and asked them to clean the surrounding hotel premises. Our officials will conduct a more detailed examination on Friday,” said R. Binoy, health supervisor, North Paravur municipality.
Meanwhile, Hotel Majlis, which was closed down on January 16 after food poisoning was reported in people who consumed mayonnaise, ‘al-fahm,’ ‘manthi,’ ‘peri-peri manthi,’ and mixed fried rice remains shut. The infection was found mostly in people who had mayonnaise made from raw eggs. Later, the presence of Salmonella was confirmed in the tests conducted by the Health Department at the Government Medical College, Ernakulam.
“The hotel is now accused of having made some illegal constructions and the matter was raised in the municipal council as well. Those anomalies will have to be corrected before council takes a call on the eatery’s fate,” a municipal official said.
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The affected persons had developed symptoms including fever, vomiting, stomach ache, and diarrhea within five to six hours of having various food items. Salmonella infection is usually caused by eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs or egg products.
About 196 persons were affected by food poisoning in the district since the start of the New Year. The majority had consumed food either from their educational institutions, hostels, vacation camps, and from various eateries.
