At least five incidents of suspected food poisoning have occurred in Kozhikode district in less than a month, prompting the Health Department to issue an advisory on checking the quality of drinking water sources.
Meanwhile, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) too has come up with some guidelines at the State level.
Fifteen girl students of a private entrance coaching centre at Perumanna were admitted to hospital after they had stomach upset and other symptoms on October 25. Two-and-a-half-year-old Mohammed Yamin of Narikkuni died on November 13, just a couple of days after he had food at a wedding event. A dozen children and some elders too fell ill. Hundreds sought medical treatment at Puthoor in Vadakara on November 15 after they had food at another wedding event in the previous days. Those who had idli and sambar from two temples at Mukkom complained of uneasiness, and 22 people sought treatment on November 19. Fourteen students of a hostel at Pantheerankavu sought treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, after they had breakfast on November 20.
Another instance of food poisoning was averted in the nick of time when an alert food safety inspector detected pseudomonas bacteria in eggs scheduled to be distributed at a school at Payyadimeethal near Pantheerankavu on November 10.
A majority of the above-mentioned incidents had been reported at wedding events. Food safety officials claim that most kitchen utensils had been kept unused for long because of the pandemic-induced restrictions on weddings. As the curbs are being eased now, and more people are attending such events, such utensils might have been used without cleaning them properly. The presence of bacteria and fungus in them thus might be leading to food poisoning.
Since symptoms occur a day or two after the event, food samples may not be available for testing as well. Some other incidents occurred at hostels which did not have a food safety licence.
At the same time, Kozhikode District Medical Officer Ummer Farooq has sought super-chlorination of water resources in places where food poisoning has been reported. The Health Department had found traces of pollutants in drinking water samples collected from these places.
Meanwhile, the State Food Safety Commissioner has said that all catering services must have a FSSAI licence as per the Food Safety Act, 2006. Some catering services were found to have been functioning just with an FSSAI registration.
Food items will have to be maintained in the correct temperature. Refrigerated food items have to be maintained at below 5 degrees Celsius, and hot food items above 60 degrees Celsius. Food samples from catering businesses will have to be preserved for two days and should be produced for tests, if needed.
At least one supervisor at a catering business must have completed the FSSAI’s Food Safety Training and Certification. The supervisor must provide training to the rest of the staff. The FSSAI is also planning to train catering services staff.
