Health Department staff are yet to figure out what led to the death of two-and-a-half-year-old Yamin from Narikkuni on Saturday, a couple of days after having food from a wedding event though they still suspect it is a case of food poisoning.
According to local health workers, the boy had food at both the bride and bridegroom’s places last week. It was served by four separate teams of caterers. Though inspections were conducted by the Food Safety and Health Departments, they are yet to zero in on a specific reason.
Meanwhile, Yamin’s mother and 11 other children who sought treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, have returned home.
Food Safety officials said that one of the catering units that served chicken dishes at the bridegroom’s place did not have a licence and its premises were found to be unclean. The unit had been sealed. Water samples too were collected from here and the bridegroom’s house. Food was prepared by a cook at the bride’s place, but none seems to have had any problem after eating it.
At the same time, some others had symptoms of food poisoning after they ate the snacks distributed during the wedding reception. A bakery from where pastry was procured was found to have unhygienic premises. However, the unit that made chicken rolls was operating in line with the laws.
The officials said that since most of those who were affected were children, their statements were contradictory. There are some who reported stomach upset and others who did not have any problem after eating the same food. The Food Safety Department has asked all catering units to keep samples of food sealed in freezers for at least two days and produce them for lab tests, if it is required.
