The Health department on Monday placed a food safety officer under suspension for demanding a bribe. According to a press release, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian received a complaint from a food stall owner in Royapettah on Monday.
In the complaint, he said the food safety officer had lifted samples of four packets of a snack for testing. The officer later told him that the artificial food colour used in the snack was more than the prescribed limit and demanded a bribe of ₹40,000 for not making it an issue.
Following the complaint, the Health Minister directed the Food Safety Department to conduct an inquiry. Inquiry found that the officer demanded a bribe following which departmental action was initiated and he was suspended, the release said.
